


Blood Red and Bittersweet

by NekoVi



Category: Servamp (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Vampire Hunters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-09
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2019-07-08 06:36:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 86,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15924890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NekoVi/pseuds/NekoVi
Summary: The Alicein family has been hunting Vampires for centuries, ever since the mysterious incident that caused their family to develop an intense hatred for the creatures. Having been trained for this since he was young, Misono always knew it would be him one day, leading the family and protecting his household.After the death of his father at the hands of one of the seven Servamps, Misono will stop at nothing to eradicate all Vampires from existence. He'll do anything if it means destroying all seven True Vampires, including use one of them to his advantage.





	1. It Got Away

**Author's Note:**

> This is an AU where the Alicein family is a family of Vampire Hunters, and Misono despises Vampires with everything he has and wants to kill them all. I hope you enjoy it!

_ He was twelve years old. _

_ There was a cold-blooded look in everyone’s eyes as they stared down the opposite side. Human servants holding guns and wooden stakes, and spray guns full of what had to be holy water. Deathly looking creatures with fangs, blood-red eyes, and claws. Those creatures truly did look like the monsters that his father had warned him about. The monsters that had waged war against their family for centuries, for seemingly no reason at all. His father had told him that the Vampires had started that war for their own amusement, out of sheer boredom, out of their uncontrollable bloodlust. _

_ Those Vampires attacked first, diving for the servants and ripping them apart like they were made of paper. Bullets began to fly soon after, loud bangs echoing off the walls.  _

_ “Misono! Get down!” Someone shouted. _

_ He ducked just in time for something to fly over his head. He wasn’t even sure what. A moment later he was grabbed. He shrieked at first, throwing kicks and punches until he realized that the person who grabbed him was his father. _

_ “What’s going on!?” Misono demanded. _

_ His father managed to hide him somewhere, in a closet under some staircase in their house. That was where they hid, while a bloody battle raged outside between the Alicein servants and a group of bloodthirsty creatures. _

_ “Another Vampire attack. I have to go out there,” his father told him. “I have to protect this house. Before I do that, though, I want you to have this.” _

_ His dad handed him something cold and slightly heavy that had to be made of metal. The way it felt in his palm reminded him of when his dad would hand him his keychain to hold onto.  _

_ “What is it?” He asked. _

_ “It’s something very important to this family. It will protect you from Vampires. Keep it with you, at all times. Never let it out of your sight.” His father stood up. “You stay in here, where you’ll be safe. Someday, Misono, it will be you protecting everyone.” _

_ That was his father’s parting words, and then he was out of sight. It was dark in that closet; he couldn’t even see what his father had handed him until he stepped out a few hours later. What was in his hand was a pocketwatch. _

_ When all was quiet outside, and when Misono finally felt like it was safe to step out of that closet, it seemed like nobody had made it out alive. He walked through puddles of blood, stepped over severed limbs. Dead eyes stared up at him from within their tombs. _

Now, only four years later, he stood in the middle of a shooting range. His target was thirty meters away. His gun was loaded with silver bullets.

_ I always knew it would be me one day.  _ Misono narrows his eyes, staring at the target. _ I didn’t expect it to be so soon, though. _

_ Among those bodies had been his own father, laying there in a pool of his own blood. His wide, dead eyes were staring at the ceiling. The fear, the rage, the pain was still present in his expression, frozen there on his face. _

_ There was someone standing over him. Someone with fangs, and red eyes. _

He raises his gun and pulls the trigger. Silver bullet after silver bullet flies out of the barrel, carving holes all over the target. The majority of those holes are in the center circle, but several shots miss the bullseye by several inches. 

_ “YOU MONSTER!” Misono shouted. _

_ That person, that Vampire, looked over at him. Its blond hair fell around its face. The look of guilt and regret made it appear almost human.  _

_ Misono dove for a gun on the floor. He raised it and fired several times, every shot missing. He had never shot a gun before in his life. _

_ That thing turned and ran right out the front door, fleeing the scene of its murder. Misono ran after it, barefoot through the cold winter snow, not sure what he was doing but trying it anyway. That Vampire was too fast, much faster than his twelve-year-old self could ever hope to be. By the time he was even past the front gate of his house, it was gone. _

He lowers his gun, staring at the mess he made of that paper target. No matter how many of those bullets actually hit where he wanted them to, it still isn’t good enough. Not in his eyes.

_ All he could do was fall to his knees and scream, scream in rage and cry out in pain and fear.  _

_ Thankfully, someone else had lived, and heard his cries. They ran out of the house, right over to where Misono was kneeling and shrieking. They attempted to comfort him, attempted to get him to come back inside.  _

_ “NO!” He shouted. “I'm never going back in there! Never!” _

_ They didn't argue any further. They simply pulled him onto their lap and held him there, trying to keep him warm. Eventually, the small boy fell asleep, and they carried him back inside, back upstairs to his bedroom, where he stayed for the rest of the night.  _

“Good job,” Dodo stands off to the side, admiring the bullet holes in the target. “It’s getting late, though. You wanna go back?”

“No.” Misono reloads the gun and cocks it. He takes aim once more. “I’m not done yet.”

“The shooting range closes in, like, ten minutes.”

“I’m staying until it does.” Misono takes a breath. “You can go back to the house. I’ll call you when I need a ride back.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m positive.”

Misono fires the gun again. It lets off a loud crack, and a second later there’s a perfectly round hole right in the middle of the bullseye. Dodo stares at it for a while. Misono’s aim gets better each time he shoots that gun, it seems.

“Alright. Call me when you need me,” Dodo says.

Misono doesn’t even hear him. He fires the gun again and again, bang after bang echoing off the sky. Once the gun is empty again, he admires his handiwork. So close. That time, there were only two that hit outside the circle. It’s still not good enough.

It’s never going to be good enough. Not until every last Vampire is dead.

He still remembers that one he saw standing over his father’s corpse; every last detail of it is still fresh in his mind. Every line on its face, every fiber of its clothing, every last pore on its skin is clearly visible in Misono’s head, as if his brain took a photograph and saved it on its desktop. 

That Vampire had looked more human than the ones that attacked the servants. It must have been one of the seven True Vampires. As for which one, Misono had no idea. 

It got off scott free. It's gone. Misono hasn't seen it since. But he has a feeling that it will show itself again eventually, and the moment it does, Misono will be waiting for it.

* * *

 

“Excuse me, sir?” someone steps into the shooting range. “We’re closing now.”

Misono looks over at the person. “I was just on my way out.”

He steps around them and leaves the shooting range. He’s about to take out his phone, but eventually decides that he doesn’t want to go back quite yet. Instead, he heads through the town, looking left and right, seeing nothing but humans as he walks down the sidewalk. The sun is just beginning to set; the streetlamps are just starting to turn on. It isn’t quite dark enough for the Vampires yet. They won’t be coming out until after dark.

“HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?”

Misono stops walking. He whips around, but it doesn’t seem like anyone had been talking to him. He’s about to start walking again.

Then, someone screams.

Before he even has time to think, his gun is out of its holster. Misono takes off in the direction of that shriek, clicking the safety off his gun as he runs. That scream had to have come from an alleyway. It’s a scream of pain, a scream of terror.

The scream of someone being attacked by a Vampire.

He skids to a stop and stares into a dark alleyway. A creature with white hair and red eyes is standing right in front of a human boy. That human doesn’t appear to have a weapon. He’s holding his backpack in front of him like it can keep him safe. He's cornered against the wall, with no room to run. 

The Vampire is snarling at him, slashing its claws through the air right before the boy's face. The bag is already in tatters, and it's only a matter of time before the human's face looks the same.

“GET DOWN!” Misono orders.

The boy obeys, much to Misono’s relief. He takes aim and fires, bullets flying through the air, whizzing past the creature’s head. Misono expects the creature to turn on him, but it does just the opposite. It turns and runs, jumping over a trash can and vanishing from sight. Misono fires a few more bullets, listening for a cry from the thing. He hears nothing but silence. 

“Dammit, I missed.” Misono mutters. He sticks his gun back in its holster, the end still smoking from the bullet that just shot through. He shoots a glance at the boy, who’s still on the ground. “It’s gone. You can get up now.”

The boy is frozen on the ground for a while, staring in complete shock in the direction that whatever the hell that thing was had gone. Eventually, he regains some of his ability to think. He stands up, looking at Misono with such a grateful expression that it makes Misono raise an eyebrow in disgust. 

“You saved my life,” the boy says.

“Yeah, I did. But it got away.” He clenches his fist and glares in the direction the creature had gone. “I still don’t have good enough aim.”

The boy looks in the same direction Misono is. The image of whatever just attacked him is still fresh in his mind. The clawing, the snarling, the thing didn’t seem human.  

“What was that thing?” he asks.

“That thing,” Misono answers, “was a Vampire.”

If this were a movie, there would be a record scratch right here. The boy makes a face and cocks his head. “A Vampire?”

“Yes, a Vampire.” Misono glares at him. “Don’t tell me you think I’m making it up.”

“I mean, my friend said something about how there’s been Vampire attacks in town lately.” The boy scratches the back of his head awkwardly, and shifts his weight. “But my friend is kinda known for making things up. I just thought he was trying to scare me again.”

Misono meets his gaze and blinks. “What’s your name?”

Finally, something that people would normally say upon meeting each other. “I’m Shirota Mahiru.” Mahiru smiles. “And you are?”

“I’m Alicein Misono.” 

“Nice to meet you.”

Misono looks him up and down. The boy has a backpack, but that’s the only thing noteworthy about him. He seems typical, plain, like a generic anime protagonist, almost. He doesn’t look like he’s able to defend himself against a street mugger, let alone a vicious Vampire. And based on what he just told Misono, he clearly doesn't think Vampires are even real. 

Mahiru finds himself looking at Misono rather strangely, too. His height is the main thing Mahiru notices. Mahiru himself isn’t exactly the tallest person he knows, but even he seems to tower over Misono. 

Despite his lack of size, the kid clearly knows what he’s doing. Before noticing how comically short he is, Mahiru had been overtaken by Misono having a gun. He had fired that thing like he had been shooting all his life. He also didn’t seem to think twice about running into that alleyway to save Mahiru’s life.

And now Misono is saying that a Vampire had been what attacked Mahiru. Seems legit, a boy the size of a middle schooler runs into an alleyway, fires a gun at whoever was attacking Mahiru, and tells him that he’s been attacked by a Vampire. That makes complete sense.

For some reason, it does make sense right then. Though Mahiru had a feeling that what little sense this makes now wouldn’t matter later.

“Do you know anything about Vampires?” Misono asks.

“I mean, I know they drink blood, and they have fangs, and red eyes. That’s about it.”

Misono sighs. “At least tell me you know how to kill one.”

“Uh… garlic?”

That, right there, makes Misono want to take his gun out and shoot Mahiru in the forehead. “My God, you stupid bastard. You just got attacked by a Vampire and you have no clue how to kill one.”

Mahiru sighs. “To be fair, I thought Vampires were just an old urban legend, like… like that Bram Stoker book.”

“You’re thinking the story of Dracula, which is an old urban legend. I’m talking real Vampires, the kind that you don’t see in movies.” Misono turns to leave the alley. “I need to get home. You should do the same. You’ll be safe from Vampires at your house. At least, I hope you will.”

With those words, Misono starts to walk away. Mahiru stands there, watching him for a while. His eyes wander over his shoulder into the dark alley he’s still standing in front of. For a second, he swears he can see another pair of glowing red eyes watching him. He jumps, and then turns to see that Misono hasn’t gotten very far yet.

“Wait!” Mahiru reaches out and grabs his shoulder. “Don’t go just yet!”

“DON’T TOUCH ME!” Misono whips his hand around, slapping Mahiru’s arm so hard that he leaves a red mark in the shape of a hand. “What do you want?”

“Can you… will you…” Mahiru takes a breath. He glances over his shoulder, relieved to see that those red eyes are gone. He looks back at Misono, trying not to seem as scared as he is. “I’m still kind of shaken by that Vampire attack. Will you… at least walk back to my house with me?”

That sounds like a huge inconvenience, not to mention completely stupid considering those two had just met less than a few minutes ago, but the last thing Misono wants is a clueless human to die because they don’t know how to protect themselves. Besides, it is getting dark enough for Vampires to come out. Who knows how many are wandering these streets, and who knows how thirsty they could be.

“Fine,” he agrees. “I will.”

“Thank you.” Mahiru gives him another grateful stare. “Thank you, so much.”

“You're lucky I saved your life.”

They leave the alleyway together. The sun has completely vanished below the horizon, and the streetlights are the main source of light. What little sunlight they have left is only barely skimming the tops of the buildings. The streets are starting to clear of people, so Mahiru feels like it’s safe to bring up the Vampire stuff as they're walking. 

“So… how do you kill a Vampire?” Mahiru asks. “I only remember garlic.”

“Garlic isn’t necessarily the wrong answer,” Misono says, “but unless you have a garlic clove on you that you can somehow shove down its throat without getting bit, killing one with garlic is very unlikely. Silver bullets is one of the most efficient.”

“I thought silver bullets killed Werewolves.”

“Silver bullets can kill any immortal being.” Misono takes a breath. “Holy water is also toxic to Vampires.”

“Silver bullets and holy water. Got it.” Mahiru remembers something else he saw in a Vampire movie once. “What about a wooden stake through the heart?”

Misono meets his eyes. “Well what  _ wouldn’t  _ that kill?”

“You’ve got a point there.” Mahiru takes a breath. “Is there anything else I should know?”

Misono can think of about fifty different things that Mahiru should know, but at that moment, none of those things really matter. 

“Right now, no,” he says. “The only thing you really need to know is how to defend yourself.” He reaches into his pocket and pulls out something that looks suspiciously like a can of pepper spray. “Here. This is full of holy water. If another Vampire tries to attack you, just spray it with this. And since one Vampire attacked you, chances are there will be more.”

Mahiru takes the bottle and stares at it. He doubts that a spray can of holy water will help him in any way, but it never hurts to try. Especially since Misono seems to know what he’s talking about. Though, this whole thing is just starting to hit Mahiru with how crazy it sounds.

Panic and shock can do some weird things to people. There’s a story of a man who woke up one morning. His wife had been murdered in the bed beside him, and the man himself had an axe stuck in his face. But despite that, he had gotten up, used the bathroom, and gone to the kitchen like it was a normal day. The guy made himself a cup of coffee and a bagel, and had sat down at the kitchen table and opened the newspaper. It was then, while he was reading the newspaper, that he died from the axe wound that it seemed like he didn’t know he had.

That right there, shock, might be the reason that Mahiru is going along with everything that this weird boy is saying about Vampires and holy water and silver bullets. But shock eventually passes, and right now, it’s starting to. The reality of everything is finally starting to hit Mahiru. Sure, he got attacked by something weird, something that looked like it had glowing red eyes and fangs, but that didn’t mean it was a Vampire. For all Mahiru knew it could’ve just been a stray cat, or a raccoon, or some other wild animal that Misono mistook for a Vampire.

“I am so confused,” Mahiru says out loud.

“Most normal people would be.” Misono is constantly looking around, as if he expects another Vampire to jump out at them. 

Mahiru almost asks Misono why he isn’t confused. Then, he realizes that Misono must be anything but normal if he’s talking about Vampires like they’re real.

“Why do you know so much about Vampires?” Mahiru asks.

“My family,” Misono responds.

Mahiru waits for more, but that seems to be all that Misono is willing to say at the moment. The taller of the two checks his phone for the time. It’s just after seven, and he hasn’t eaten dinner yet. In fact, he hasn’t been back to his apartment since noon that day. When there’s errands to run, there’s errands to run, and there isn’t much he can do about it besides get them done and relax when they’re over.

“I could make you dinner when we get back to my apartment, if you want,” Mahiru offers. 

“No, thanks. Once I drop you off I have to go back home.”

“Oh. Alright.” 

There's a lull in the conversation. Mahiru struggles to think of anything else to say, anything else to ask.

“Where did you learn to shoot a gun like that?” Mahiru asks eventually.

“A close family friend of mine,” Misono responds.

Mahiru wants to press for more, but decides not to bother. Clearly all of Misono's answers are going to be vague like that, and Mahiru doesn't blame him. They did just meet less than ten minutes ago.

“What were you doing in that alley?” Misono says. “Don't they teach you in kindergarten not to walk into dark alleys?”

Mahiru swallows. “It's a shortcut I take. Usually I don't run into anyone when I go through there.”

“I'd avoid that alley if I were you.” Misono looks around cautiously. 

“I will now.” Mahiru sighs. “I went through it this morning and didn't run into anything. Well, I did see a stray cat, but that's about it.”

“It doesn't matter if it was fine before.” Misono takes a breath. “Vampires are deceptive. You might have thought it was fine before, but that Vampire could've been stalking you from the first time you walked through that alley.”

Mahiru tries to remember if he ever felt like he was being watched while he went through town, but he couldn't recall ever feeling like anything was wrong. Usually if something is off, you get a gut feeling, an instinct that you should probably trust. Mahiru doesn't remember ever feeling that gut instinct.

But either way, Misono is probably right. Though, Mahiru can't quite figure out why he trusts this kid so much already. It must just be because he's trustworthy. Mahiru doesn't have any sort of negative feeling when he talks to him. There's nothing in the back of his mind telling him he shouldn't trust this boy.

“This is my apartment building.” Mahiru says, stopping in front of a towering building. “Thanks again for saving me earlier.”

“Don't mention it. I just don't want anyone else to die from a Vampire attack.” Misono turns and starts to walk away. 

“Goodnight!” Mahiru calls after him.

Misono doesn't respond.  _ That must just be how he is.  _ Mahiru thinks. He enters his building, leaving the darkening street behind him.

As for Misono, he decides that walking all the way back to his house in the dark is a bad idea. He pulls out his phone and calls for Dodo to come pick him up. As he waits, he keeps his eyes peeled. The streets are lit enough for humans to be out and about, but the sunlight isn't hitting them directly, so Vampires are also free to roam.

He makes eye contact with almost everyone that passes him. None of the eyes he sees are red, but it’s hard to tell for sure in this lighting. None of the people walking seem to care about his presence at all. 

His hand is over his gun as he stares, his narrow eyes skimming over everything. He was able to save one person, but the thought of that Vampire still roaming the streets free to attack anybody else it feels like attacking makes Misono sick to his stomach. How could he have let it get away?

Why do they all get away?

He has yet to kill a single one. He's wounded a few, but they always got finished off by someone else, someone older in the Alicein household. Misono has yet to claim a kill for himself.

It got away. 

It got away.

Misono screams and throws a punch at the solid brick wall behind him. Pain ripples through his knuckles. He retracts his hand and throws a kick instead. This time, the pain shoots up his leg, finally stopping once it reaches his knee. He takes a breath and screams again, about to slam his forehead into the wall. He then stops himself. Why is he being so stupid? Hurting himself will get him nowhere, and what did this wall ever do to deserve his wrath?

It got away.

Misono’s hand twitches. He can feel his fingers tensing, itching to wrap themselves around a gun and fire it right between that creature’s eyes. 

Not a gun, no. Something else. A silver dagger, or a wooden stake, something where he can get right up close to it, stare right into that thing’s eyes, watch as the last of the life fades from them. So he can see it, watch it realize all of the pain it caused him, so it can look right into the eyes of its killer and know that it deserves everything that’s coming to it. 

But that can’t happen yet. It got away.

_ “It got away!” Misono shouted, hugging himself, curled into a small ball. Tears stain his pillowcase. “It got away! It's still out there!” _

_ Dodo rubbed his back. “It won't get away next time,” he assured him. _

Next time hasn't come. That Vampire still hasn’t been spotted by any of the other Hunters. But Misono still hasn't lost hope that it will be seen again. It will have to show itself eventually. 

Maybe he’s been going about this all wrong. Maybe instead of looking for the target, he should lure it out of hiding. Perhaps it will show itself if the other True Vampires begin to die off. Maybe if Misono can get his hands on another one… 

A car pulls up alongside the path Misono is standing on. He looks over, snapped out of his thoughts. The window rolls down, revealing Dodo sitting in the driver's seat.

“Why are you so far into town?” he asks. “The shooting range is ten kilometers away.”

“I heard a scream. Someone got attacked. I had to walk them home so they wouldn’t get attacked again.” Misono climbs into the backseat and slams the door shut. He stares out the window, watching the buildings move past.

“They got attacked by a Vampire, I'm guessing?”

“What else would it have been?” Misono leans closer to the glass, his breath fogging it up. He wipes the window off and moves away from it again. “It got away.”

“It got away?” 

Misono narrows his eyes. “Yeah.”

Dodo looks in the rearview mirror at Misono's reflection. The young boy has fury in his eyes, a lust for vengeance. Just one glance at the boy would be enough to send anyone running if they weren’t on his good side. Thankfully, Dodo is, and he plans to stay there. 

“Well it won't get away next time,” he says.

Misono draws a sharp breath. He reaches into his pocket and feels the pocketwatch inside of it. He remembers his father’s dead body, and the look in the eyes of the Vampire that killed him. He’s having a hard time remembering if that look of guilt was actually there. Maybe that Vampire altered his memories, made him think that it was a look of regret when it was actually a cold-blooded look of mercilessness.

Or maybe that guilty expression was there. It knew what it did, and it knew it would face the consequences. Maybe it wasn’t regret; maybe it was fear. Maybe the creature was afraid for its life, knowing for a fact that Misono would come back to kill it sooner or later. That’s probably why Misono has yet to find it; it’s hiding from him. It knows what’s coming, and it doesn’t want to face it.

“No,” Misono says, his fingers running along the chain of the watch. He can practically feel it ticking, like a heartbeat in his pocket. “It definitely won't.”


	2. You're Not My Cat!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mahiru is glad to get home after that Vampire attack. He'll just be able to relax, finish up his chores, and go to sleep with his new pet cat, Kuro.  
> Or will he?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! Chapter two! I hope you enjoy it! Nya~!

A stray cat was all Mahiru saw in that alleyway that morning, when he walked through it the first time. It wasn’t a big deal; just a small black cat sitting there, staring up at him with big adorable eyes seeming to beg for food. Most strays are starving; they only live off scraps and what little rodents they can find to hunt.

It must not be fun being a stray. It must be hard, living life not knowing where your next meal was coming from. Being homeless as a person isn’t fun, so why would being stray as a cat be any better?

It wouldn’t be, was the simple answer to that question. And those big kitty eyes staring at him were starting to make him feel guilty. Which is why Mahiru decided to pick that cat up and bring it back to his apartment with him when he went back through that alley with his groceries for that week. He left the cat there and went to continue on with his errands for the rest of the day.

That was when the Vampire attacked him.

He stepped into that alley and saw that person leaning against the wall. Their hood was up; he couldn’t see their face at all. He assumed they were just standing there waiting for a drug deal or waiting for a ride somewhere. Either that or they were keeping watch for someone else. Mahiru figured he could walk right past them and they wouldn’t care.

He had been wrong. That person had grabbed his wrist and attempted to bite it. Mahiru was only struggling for a few seconds before Misono showed up, but those few seconds must be what pure fear for your life felt like.

Either way, it’s over now. Mahiru can just go home, finish up his chores, and relax with his new housemate, Kuro. That’s what he named the cat, since he isn’t exactly the best at naming things. It’s a simple name, an easy one to think of and an easy one to remember.

Mahiru steps into his apartment, and shuts the door behind him. He sighs loudly, closing his eyes for a second to take in the peace of it all. He listens to the sound of his furnace running, and the gentle hum of a voice coming from the television…

Wait, the television?

Mahiru opens his eyes. _I don’t remember leaving the TV on…_ He steps out of his shoes and starts walking through his apartment. Once he steps in far enough, he can see the light from his television screen lighting up the silhouette of something.

That something is a person, sitting with a blanket wrapped over his shoulders, covering his head like a cape.

Mahiru stares, not quite sure what to do. Then, the realization hits him: there’s a stranger in his apartment, one that must have broken in.

“WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE!?” He demands.

The mysterious person looks over his shoulder. The second he does, Mahiru instantly recognizes him. The red eyes, the white hair, it all looks so familiar. He remembers those eyes seeming to glow, that hair flying back out of that creature’s face as it dove right for Mahiru’s neck.

“No… no way!” Mahiru starts backing up, holding his hands out protectively in front of him.  “You’re the Vampire that attacked me! STAY AWAY FROM MY NECK!”

Mahiru rips the bottle of holy water out of his pocket and sprays it right the Vampire’s face.

“AAAHHHH!” the Vampire shrieks. A moment later, it curls into a tight ball of agony, covering its face and trembling. “You humans are so mean! Did I even try to hurt you!?”

Mahiru lowers the spray bottle. Staring at the Vampire convulsing in pain on the floor gives his heart a little pang of sympathy. “You’re here to suck my blood, aren’t you!?”

“You seriously think I’m going to try to suck your blood?” The Vampire looks up, the whites of its eyes blaring red like how a human’s would if pepper spray got into them. “That sounds like a lot of work. And besides, I don’t want to risk getting sprayed with holy water again.”

“Wait, what? But you attacked me in the alleyway!” Mahiru slowly starts moving the bottle back into his pocket. He hesitates, though, in case this Vampire decides to get revenge.

“Yeah, sorry about that.” The Vampire covers its face, pain searing through its eyes. “I get kinda freaked out around humans. Especially ones who threaten to spray me with holy water.”

“So, wait…” Mahiru feels his heart rate finally beginning to slow down, “are you going to hurt me again?”

“Why would I even bother?” The Vampire sits up again, blinking its eyes rapidly. “As long as you don’t do _that_ again, there’s no point.”

The human boy cautiously steps closer. Misono said something about how Vampires are deceiving, didn’t he? Maybe that’s what this one is trying to do: deceive him, get him to let his guard down so sucking his blood will be easier. He better keep his guard up, just in case, though it’s probably safe to relax at least a little bit.

“How did you even get in here?” Mahiru asks. “I swear I locked the door when I left.”

“You did.” The Vampire finally recovers from the holy water. It takes a deep breath, and turns right back to the TV.  “I was already inside when you did. Once you left, I unlocked the door and went out after you.”

“How were you already inside?”

“Remember that cat you picked up?”

“Yeah… what about it?”

The Vampire sighs, and gives Mahiru an exasperated stare. “You humans are so slow. Have you seen that cat since we’ve spoken?”

Mahiru looks around his apartment, and realizes that Kuro is nowhere to be seen. He starts walking around, looking under his sofa and even under his bed in his little tiny room he calls a bedroom. Eventually, he comes back to where the Vampire is sitting.

“What did you do to my cat!?” He demands.

The Vampire blinks up at him. “Have you still not figured it out? Do I have to spell it out for you?”

“What are you talking about?”

He sighs. “I guess I have no choice.”

Suddenly, right before Mahiru’s eyes, the Vampire transforms. Mahiru jumps and screams, falling backwards onto his butt on the floor. Suddenly, there’s a little lump underneath the blanket the Vampire had over its shoulders. The lump moves around until at last a small, fuzzy head pokes out from underneath the blanket.

“Ah!” Mahiru stares in shock. His heart feels like it just exploded. His mind is going insane. “Wait…” he can barely breathe enough to speak. “ _You’re_ the cat!?”

“It’s about time.” The Vampire transforms, switching back to its human form. “That’s how I got inside. It was quite simple, really. Just let me stay here a bit longer and then I’ll be out of your hair and we can forget this ever happened.”

“I can’t believe this… there's no way! You're not my cat!" Mahiru starts freaking out, looking back and forth and waving his hands in wild gestures. They eventually land on the sides of his head. "This can't be happening. You're Kuro!?"

Everything in the room seems to darken.

The only thing Mahiru can clearly see is a chain, with a light blue glow around it. His heart starts slamming against his ribcage. He stares at his wrist with wide, terrified eyes. There's a cuff on his wrist, one that looks like a shackle. His eyes follow the chain until at last he can see where it ends: it’s on the back of Kuro’s neck, like a leash.

“Of course,” Kuro says, sounding more exhausted than ever.

The chain vanishes from view. Mahiru looks back and forth between his wrist and Kuro, looking for the connection that just vanished. 

“Ah! Huh!? Ah! Wha! WHAT JUST HAPPENED!?” he demands.

Kuro looks over his shoulder at Mahiru and blinks slowly. “Why do you ask so many questions?”

“Because there’s a lot I don’t know!” He glares. “You better explain to me what just happened!”

He turns back to the TV again and sighs. “You just formed a contract with me. A temporary one. It’ll be gone in twenty-four hours so long as I don’t drink your blood, which I have no plan on doing.”

“A contract? What are you talking about?”

“A contract. What do you think it is? It’s a deal, you give me a name and an object, and then I drink your blood, and I have to follow your orders for the rest of your life.” Kuro sighs. “This one is temporary, though. As long as I don't drink your blood, we’re not bound for life. Which is great, since I would die if I had to obey orders for the rest of my life.”

“But I never gave you any…” Mahiru’s eyes scan Kuro up and down until at last they land on something around Kuro’s neck, something that Mahiru put there while he still thought Kuro was a cat. “YES I DID! Your little cat bell!”

Kuro had apparently started ignoring Mahiru again, since he doesn’t bother answering him. He’s focused on the TV again, watching a random infomercial about a chicken roaster. It seems like one of the most boring things in the world to watch, but Kuro doesn’t seem to care as long as he’s zoning out in front of the television instead of talking to the human in the room.

“Hey! I’m not done talking to you!” Mahiru grabs the TV remote off the couch and flicks the TV off.

“I was watching that!” Kuro looks at him. “What do you want?”

“Explain!” Mahiru orders.

“Explain what? I thought I already explained everything.”

“Why did you attack me in the alleyway!?”

Kuro sighs and rolls his eyes. “I already told you that. I get freaked out around humans. Usually when I get that close to one they try to kill me. Like that short one with the cowlick that tried to shoot me.”

“Misono?”

“Yeah, whatever his name is. He’s been trying to kill me for a while now. He has some sort of grudge against Vampires.”

Mahiru stares at Kuro, looking for any sign of pain, or fear, or anger in his eyes. He does see a hint of resentment, but that’s about it. Even so, right now, sitting on the floor in front of Mahiru’s TV, Kuro seems relatively harmless compared to his behavior in the alley not that long ago. And if what he’s saying is true, and he really was just scared, then there isn’t much to be afraid of.

“Well, I won’t try to kill you unless you try to kill me,” Mahiru says. “He’s been hunting you for a while?”

“All seven of us.” Kuro stares at the blank TV screen as if he can turn it on with his mind.

“There’s seven of you guys?” Mahiru looks around his tiny apartment, wondering if he’ll have enough room for seven guests. He then nearly smacks himself for thinking that he’s going to be housing seven Vampires. There’s no way in heck he’ll pick up any more strays after this.

“Yeah.”

Mahiru is tempted to kick Kuro out of his apartment, but thinking back to how Misono fired a gun at him without any sign of mercy makes Mahiru a bit wary to do so. Besides, with the whole ‘contract’ thing in place for twenty-four hours, Kuro is required to follow Mahiru’s orders. So long as Mahiru doesn’t order him to do anything horrible, nothing bad can come from it. If Kuro tries to kill him, Mahiru can order him to stop.

“Where are the others?”

“Beats me. I haven’t been able to contact them for a while. I’d have about as much luck trying to find them as you would.” Kuro takes a deep, slow, tired breath. “I have a feeling they’re nearby, but I don’t know, and going out to find them sounds too troublesome. I think it’s best if I just hide out here until the contract is over.”

“Too troublesome?” Mahiru raises an eyebrow. “Why would finding the others be troublesome?”

“Because with that Vampire Hunter running around who knows what will happen if I leave. I would rather stay here where it’s safe.” He takes another slow, tired breath and lets it out in a heavy sigh.

Mahiru can’t quite figure out what is up with this Vampire. Kuro doesn’t seem overly deadly. He doesn’t seem like someone who would attack you in an alleyway, or someone that another person would be after, but apparently he is. Apparently, he’s a bloodsucking monster who is willing to kill a human because humans scare him.

“So you aren’t here to suck my blood,” Mahiru recaps, still holding up his hands, trying to make sure Kuro won’t hurt him. “You aren’t here to hurt me at all. You’re just going to hang out here until the contract is over, and then you’ll be on your way, right?”

“Yeah.” Kuro isn’t looking at him. He’s still staring at the blank TV screen as if something is playing on it.

“You don’t normally attack people in alleyways, do you?”

“No. You just got too close.” Kuro takes another breath. “Can you turn the TV back on? And stop talking to me? I’m getting tired of answering questions.”

Mahiru’s arms fall. “You are so lazy. Why are you so lazy? Aren’t you supposed to be some terrifying creature that everyone fears?”

“Why did I get stuck with a human who never stops asking questions?” Kuro falls sideways, laying on the floor, still staring at a blank TV screen. “Look, I know you want to know everything right now, but it can wait, can’t it? You don’t have to know everything right this second, do you?”

Mahiru takes a breath, finally allowing his brain to process everything that just happened in the past while. So the cat he picked up wasn’t actually a cat. The man who attacked him in the alleyway is now sitting on his apartment floor eating from a bag of chips and telling him that he and the cat were actually the same person. He also just accidentally formed a contract with one of the seven Vampires that can apparently form contracts.

Yeah, today has definitely been a very, very weird day.

Why hasn’t he kicked Kuro out yet? Why hasn’t he just thrown this crazy man out the door?

Probably because he knows Kuro isn’t crazy. He isn’t some delusional man who thinks he’s a Vampire and half-cat and whatnot. He actually is, and Mahiru has seen it firsthand. Besides, Kuro seems too lazy to be harmful.

After thinking about it for thirty seconds or so, he falls back onto his couch and grabs the TV remote, deciding that the crazy man who now has the name Kuro can stay for the time being.

“I guess it can wait,” Mahiru says.

“Good.”

“You don’t have to sit on the floor, you know. You can sit on the couch; it’d be more comfortable.”

“I don't feel like getting up. Just turn the TV on, would you?”

Seven Vampires. Seven. “I thought there’d be more Vampires than seven.”

“There are more than seven. I’m one of the seven True Vampires. We’re sometimes called Servamps because we form contracts with humans.” Kuro sounds like he’d rather be giving a speech on politics. “Now please, turn on the TV.”

Mahiru can’t help but think that seven is a really odd number to pick for anything. Regardless, he stops asking questions and turns the TV back on. Kuro gratefully gets sucked into a random movie that Mahiru switches to.

Mahiru’s brain is completely fried. There’s a Vampire in his house, the same one that attacked him. He survived said attack. Some random kid showed up with a gun and started shooting things all willy-nilly trying to save his life. That same kid gave him a bottle of holy water to protect himself from Vampire attacks, because apparently there are more, and apparently they are all deadly and want to kill people.

This entire day has just been complete chaos. So much chaos, in fact, that it has rendered Mahiru’s brain completely useless. The most he can do now is just sit in front of the TV watching movies, with that Vampire sitting there on his floor. He can’t even bring himself to drag that Vampire over to the door and throw him out. He can’t even bring himself to say ‘get out’ anymore.

He zones out staring at the TV screen. It’s all he can do. It’s all he wants to do. Doing anything else would just be too much for his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah, Mahiru still accidentally forms a contract with Kuro in this universe. He also sprays him in the face with holy water. Lol. The next chapter will be back with Misono's POV. I hope you enjoyed this! See you in the next one! Nya~!


	3. You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You,” Misono growls, holding up his gun. “You killed my family. You ruined my life. And now you’re going to pay for what you did.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 3! I hope you enjoy it!

He can’t sleep.

Not tonight. Not with the thought that there is another bloodthirsty beast roaming the streets. Not with the frustration that somehow or another he managed to miss it with every bullet he fired. Not with the intense, crippling fear that it might attack someone else.

He tosses and turns, but his thoughts refuse to quiet down. Eventually he sits up and pulls a book off his nightstand. Maybe reading will help.

No, it’s pointless. He can’t focus on the words at all, let alone get absorbed enough in the story to forget about the events from a few hours ago.

It’s already been that long. That creature could be out of town by now, for all he knows. He can’t believe how stupid he is. He should’ve chased it down, but he didn’t. He got caught standing there, talking to that boy he saved. That stupid boy who barely even knew what a Vampire was, let alone how to protect himself from one. He thought Misono was making the whole thing up! Are all people that ignorant?

He finds himself hoping that that boy is safe. At the very least that kid has something to defend himself with now. That should help him live through another few attacks, assuming that any other Vampires decide he’s worth the trouble. Maybe the fact that Misono was the one who saved him will keep other Vampires away. If they know that the Alicein kid is Mahiru’s ally, they might leave him alone.

Eventually, Misono gets up. He’s definitely not going to be able to sleep tonight. He might as well get up and do something useful. Maybe he could sneak into town and hunt that Vampire down. It’s definitely worth a shot.

He gets dressed and opens the drawer to his nightstand. That’s where he keeps all of his important things: holy water, silver ammunition, and that gun. You usually aren’t supposed to store guns and ammo in the same place, but Misono figures that if anyone is skilled enough to somehow break into the Alicein mansion, bypass the security system, get past all the armed, weapon-trained servants, make it through Misono’s bedroom door, and figure out where he’s hiding the key to his nightstand, they probably deserve to be able to shoot him in the head.

He loads his gun and sticks it in the holster on his belt. After a little bit of deliberation, he picks up the pocketwatch that his father gave him and sticks it in his pocket. He runs his hand along the chain, and feels the gentle pulse whenever it ticks. There’s something comforting about it, something that makes him feel like his father is still there watching over him. He can’t remember ever having to wind that watch since he first got it. The watch is immortal; the ticking won’t stop. It is akin to his father’s heartbeat. It refuses to stop, and feeling it and listening to it makes Misono feel like he’s safe.

After a moment of sentimentality, Misono walks over to his bedroom window and throws it open. He climbs out of it, clinging to a mess of vines growing on the side of his house. It isn’t the first time he’s snuck out this way; he knows which spots are safe to hold and which ones aren’t. A few minutes later and he’s on the ground, running through his yard toward the fence. He’s going to have to walk the whole way to town. It’s not like it’s a ridiculously long walk, but driving would definitely be a Hell of a lot faster.

He runs it instead, feeling the wind against his face as he sprints down the side of the road. The servants are going to worry about him in the morning, but for now, he’s free to run away. He’s free to get out of that house and hunt down a few bloodthirsty beasts.

And maybe, just maybe, claim a kill for himself.

Town isn’t as far as he thought. He makes it there pretty fast, and slows to a walking pace. The first building that draws his attention is the cinema, with its brightly lit signs and words displaying the current movies playing. Late-night showings are great for people who want to scare the pants off themselves watching a horror film, or go see a rather sexual showing without worrying about being caught.

Apparently, a film just ended. People are walking out the front, heading either down the sidewalk or toward a car parked on the side of the road. Misono scans the crowd, eying every person suspiciously. Some of them meet his eyes curiously, wondering why this little boy is staring at them so strangely. Some of them just avoid his gaze. A few are too busy talking to their friends, so they don’t notice him at all.

Then, someone walks out.

This someone is tall. They’re wearing a long black coat and a white scarf over a pink button up shirt, which isn’t even close to being done up all the way. Their bare chest and stomach are exposed. They have blond hair that reaches just below their shoulders. They feel eyes staring at them, and look over.

Violet eyes meet red ones.

Misono feels his heart twist.

“YOU!” he shouts.

Their eyes widen in fear. That person isn’t a person. It’s a Vampire.

The Vampire.

The one that killed his father.

Misono draws his gun. “You’re going to pay for what you did to me!”

The creature runs.

Misono runs after it.

He chases it all through town, through several mazes of alleyways and down several paths that even he didn’t know existed. This whole time, nobody notices that the boy has a gun, or that the Vampire is running in fear. In fact, they don’t even seem to know that it’s a Vampire.

The creature runs into an alleyway. It hits a dead end, and turns to face Misono. The look in its eyes is almost pity-inducing, but Misono feels no empathy as he stares at it. That creature, there’s nowhere left for it to go.

“You,” Misono growls, holding up his gun. “You killed my family. You ruined my life. And now you’re going to pay for what you did.”

The creature is breathing heavily, staring at the barrel of the gun as if it’s afraid. Good. It should be afraid. It should be very afraid.

“Misono,” it says.

“Don’t say my name!” Misono takes another step forward, another step toward it. “You don’t deserve to say my name.”

“Please,” it starts to beg. “Please. I know you’re just trying to protect your family, but I’m trying to do the same thing.”

“Pfft.” Misono scoffs. “You? With a family? Don’t make me laugh.”

It takes a breath. “Please, I don’t want to have to hurt you, but I will if I must.”

“You’re not getting away this time.” Misono glares down the barrel of the gun. “Say goodbye.”

Suddenly, the gun is knocked out of Misono’s hand.

“What!?” Misono looks around, but can’t find anything that could’ve knocked it out. He hears something land, and he looks next to the Vampire he’s trying to kill.

There’s another Vampire. A very tiny one. One that’s about the size of a toddler. He’s also dressed up like a mini Count Dracula.

“Old Child!” the first Vampire exclaims.

“All of Love, good to see you again,” Old Child answers.

Misono glares at the second Vampire. Fighting two against one? It isn’t fair, but then again, nothing about Vampire Hunting is fair. Besides, if there’s two here, he might be able to kill two birds with one stone.

The human boy turns his head slightly, and sees a glint out of the corner of his eye. He knows exactly what that glint is: it has to be his gun.

Misono dives for it. He grabs it and aims it, firing multiple times without even bothering to aim. He’s bound to hit one of them with at least one bullet.

“Ah!” All of Love cries out in pain, clutching his arm. “Ah… ah…”

“Oh, no you don’t!” Old Child jumps into the air and suddenly, a bat replaces the small human. It flies at Misono, slamming right into his face.

“Augh!” Misono aims his gun and fires, but the bat is so small and flies around so quickly that it’s impossible to aim a shot at it. “Vampires!”

“All of Love! Now!” the bat says, causing Misono to make a face. How can they talk in their animal forms? It makes no sense.

“Of course!” All of Love switches forms, too, the tall figure replaced with a butterfly.

“What!?” Misono glares and fires his gun again and again.

The bat and the butterfly fly right over his head, out of the alleyway. Misono spins around and starts running after them, his gun still at the ready in case the opportunity comes.

The Vampires stop once they reach a safer alleyway. They stay in their animal forms and watch as the small Alicein boy runs right past the spot they’re hiding in. Once they’re certain he’s gone, they switch back to their human forms.

“Ah!” All of Love falls to his knees, clutching his arm. “Those bullets… they can’t be normal.”

Old Child walks over and looks at the wound. “Those bullets must’ve been silver ones.”

All of Love looks back at him, and a smile crosses his face. “You saved my life back there. Thank you.”

“No need to thank me. Just doing my job as your older brother.”

“Where are we gonna go?” All of Love looks around the alley. “We can’t just stay in here forever.”

“With that Alicein boy running around, we can’t stay anywhere forever. I know a place we can crash for the night.” Old Child looks around as well. “I sensed another Servamp nearby. I’m pretty sure Sleepy Ash isn’t that far. A few of my subclass say they saw him with a human boy.”

“Do you think that human boy would help us?” All of Love forces himself to stand.

“If he’s with Sleepy Ash, chances are he might.” Old Child cracks a smile. “But Sleepy Ash wasn’t who I was thinking of when you asked where we were going to go.”

“Who were you thinking of?”

He smirks at All of Love. “Well, while you were out here running around trying not to get killed, I found myself an Eve.”

All of Love’s eyes widen. “You have another Eve!?”

“Indeed I do, brother.” Old Child jumps up onto a trash can, just for the sake of feeling taller than he is. “His name is Tetsu. Tetsu Sendagaya. His parents own a resort called White Water Hot Springs. It’s a pretty nice place, and he’s a pretty nice guy, so I’m sure he’ll let us stay there for the night.”

“That’s wonderful, Old Child.” All of Love sighs. “I wish I had an Eve. I would take good care of them if I did.”

“I’m sure you would.” Old Child switches forms again. “Come on. We’ve got no time to lose. I don’t want that Alicein boy to see us again.”

All of Love switches forms, too, and follows Old Child out of the alleyway and down the street, flying faster than he’s ever flown before.

* * *

 

“AAAAAHHHH!”

Misono screams in frustration and punches the wall. He throws punch after punch at it, and once he gets tired of doing that, he kicks it instead. He can’t believe it got away again. This is the third time it’s gotten away from him.

He can’t let this happen anymore. He can’t afford to. The more bloodthirsty beasts are out roaming the streets, the more humans they could potentially kill. So far he knows of three of the Seven True Vampires roaming around this town alone. There are probably more. He doesn’t doubt that for a second.

People that walk by stare at the boy who’s taking his anger out on the outside of a building. Understandable, since this is just a random small child in the middle of town in the wee hours of the morning. His screaming probably doesn't help much, either.

Eventually, Misono’s anger passes. He starts walking down the street again, his eyes peeled for Vampires. If he sees another one, it won’t get away this time. That much he knows for sure. Or at least he thinks he knows for sure.

He walks past a concert hall. There’s a crowd gathered around the outside, for some reason. Who would be performing this early in the morning? It makes no sense at all. Then again, nothing makes sense in this world of Vampires.

A pianist. One that apparently is well-known, based on the size of the crowd outside of the concert hall. Misono stops to listen to the piece. It’s one he knows, and one he likes, and the way this pianist is playing it somehow makes it even more powerful. Misono finds that he can’t stop listening. He stares at the screen, which displays the pianist himself. The way his fingers move over the keys is almost hypnotic.

“It’s beautiful,” he hears one woman in the crowd whisper.

“He truly is an angel of music,” replies another.

A low murmur starts to rise from the crowd. Misono reaches up to wipe off a tear that started to form in his eye. How is that pianist able to make him cry with nothing but sounds? Misono has never been able to understand how music is able to change your emotions. It truly is a gift to be able to understand something so mysterious and powerful.

The piece ends, and everyone, inside and out of the concert hall, applauds. Misono included. Apparently, it’s the end of the concert, because the pianist stands up and takes a bow. People are throwing roses onto the stage. Misono wonders what it would feel like to be applauded, and cheered, and have people throwing roses at you for doing something like playing the piano.

“Isn’t he amazing?” someone next to Misono says.

“Yeah,” Misono answers. “That was incredible.”

“That’s my angel.” He hears a low chuckle.

Misono looks next to him, only to find that whoever that person was is gone. He looks around and around, but can’t pinpoint who had been speaking to him. He decides to forget about it, and he turns back to the screen just in time to see the pianist’s name be displayed on the screen:

Licht Jekylland Todoroki.

It’s a name that Misono has never heard before in his life. Apparently, however, a lot of other people have heard of him. The crowd begins to disperse, and soon enough, Misono is left standing on the sidewalk by himself, staring at a blank screen outside of a concert hall.

He starts walking away again. He should get home, before the servants notice that he’s gone.

He also should get home and sleep, because once morning hits, he’s going right back to that shooting range.

There’s no way that Vampire is getting away another time. If it does, Misono might as well just take his gun and shoot himself in the side of the head.

I’ll probably miss that shot, too, he thinks, based on my aim right now.

He finds himself wanting to punch something else. He refrains from doing so. If he breaks his hand, then that will definitely be the last straw.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, I know it seems like I'm begging for comments, but they really motivate me to keep writing stories. If you like this story, just leaving a little comment saying you like it really means a lot to me, and I'll feel a lot more motivated to continue it. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! See you in the next one!


	4. Help

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All of Love and Old Child take refuge at White Water Hot Springs.
> 
> Mahiru is starting to get paranoid.
> 
> Misono runs into another Servamp. One that he's never seen or heard of before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update! And this one is literally 21 pages long. Lol. Definitely longer than I meant for it to be, but hey. Whatever. I hope you enjoy it!

“All of Love…”

Old Child and All of Love are heading down the street, keeping their eyes peeled for signs of Misono Alicein or his servants. The voices who just spoke, though, are the exact opposite of the Vampire Hunters.

In fact, it’s two children. Two children that All of Love is absolutely ecstatic to see.

“YURI! MARY!” He freaks out and shouts, causing Old Child to shush him. He doesn’t seem to be listening in the slightest, though.

"ALL OF LOVE!" They cry, hugging him.

All of Love runs over to them. He crouches down and looks at both of them, making sure they’re not hurt. “Oh, you’re okay. Thank goodness. Come with me.”

He wishes he could grab both of their hands, or hug them back, but unfortunately, his arm is out of commission. He straightens up again, and the two children settle for grabbing his coat instead.

Old Child looks at them. “These two are yours?”

“They’re my subclass.” All of Love looks down at each of them, making sure they aren’t wincing or limping as they walk. Thankfully, they appear to be just fine.

“So you still take in orphans, huh?” Old Child smiles at him. “You’ve always been like that.”

“I can’t stand the thought of these poor kids out on their own.” All of Love smiles at his older brother. “However, you can handle yourself just fine. You went and got yourself an Eve.”

“Yeah, well.” He shrugs. “What can I say? I’m good at being a True Vampire.”

They continue down the sidewalk. Fortunately, it seems almost completely void of human life at all. The only people that are out are too busy trying to get to their destination safely to worry about the Vampires walking down the street.

“We should be in our animal forms,” Old Child whispers eventually.

“We can’t,” All of Love whispers back. “If we were in our animal forms Yuri and Mary would look like two little kids running down the street in the middle of the night.”

“So? I look like a little kid running down the street in the middle of the night.”

“Yes, but with me behind you it looks like you have supervision.” All of Love sighs. “Besides, I can’t risk Yuri and Mary.”

“Don’t you have other subclass?”

All of Love is silent. Old Child looks over his shoulder at him, and once he sees the look of despair on his face, and the way Yuri and Mary are clinging to him tighter than before, he lets out a sigh and turns around.

“Don’t answer that,” he says. “I think I already know.”

A few minutes later, and the conversation resumes, this time on a different topic. It lasts the whole way through town, and eventually, they stop outside of a building that appears to be in the middle of absolutely nowhere.

“Here we are! White Water Hot Springs!” Old Child spreads his arms out as if he’s introducing something incredible. “You see that boarded-up window over there?” he points. “That’s my room.”

All of Love admires the building. The architecture is modern, yet traditional at the same time, which is what one would expect from a hot spring resorts. Since the water is completely natural, and heated naturally, most hot spring resorts try to keep it as natural looking as possible. The hot springs themselves must be around back, since he can’t see them from where he stands.

“It looks lovely,” he says.

“All of Love,” Yuri and Mary speak up again. They’re staring at his arm. “What hurt you?”

“Don’t fret, children.” All of Love barely cracks a smile at them. He looks at his arm, and then at his brother. “Old Child, my wound isn’t healing at all.”

“Hmm. That is rather odd.” He jumps onto a nearby rock and starts inspecting it in the light of one of the outside lamps on the building. “That bullet probably hit you harder than you thought. It might be lodged in there. I’m sure someone could dig it out, but it might be painful.”

Behind them, they hear a door open, followed by a voice saying, “Hugh, there you are. Where did you run off to?”

They both look over. There’s a figure in the distance, silhouetted by the bright light shining out from inside the building.

Old Child smirks. “There’s my Eve.”

All of Love smirks back. “Your name is Hugh?”

“Hugh the Dark Algernon III, to be precise.” He looks over. “Tetsu! Over here!”

“I have a hard time believing that your Eve gave you that name,” All of Love says with a giggle.

“He did. I just sort of… _suggested_ it.”

At that moment, Hugh gets picked up and set on someone’s shoulder. All of Love stares. So that’s Tetsu Sendagaya. That’s Old Child’s new Eve.

“All of Love, Yuri, Mary, this is Tetsu,” Hugh says. “Tetsu, this is my brother, All of Love, and his subclass, Yuri and Mary.”

“Nice to meet you,” Tetsu says, holding out his hand for a handshake.

“Nice to meet you,” the twins say in unison, grabbing his hand and shaking it.

“Nice to meet you, too.” All of Love doesn't accept the handshake. His hurt arm is immobilized, and his good hand is occupied clutching his wound. But that doesn’t stop him from at least attempting to be polite. He bows his head, and then finally gets a good look at the human boy.

He’s very tall, and very muscular. Those are the first things that All of Love notices. He’s about the same height as him, and neither of the two are exactly average height. He also has blond hair and piercing blue eyes. All of Love finds that he can’t stop staring.

“Old Child,” All of Love says, “You sure know how to find an attractive Eve.”

Hugh giggles. “Careful, brother. Tetsu’s only fourteen.”

“WHAT!?” All of Love stares in shock. “You’re only fourteen?”

“Fifteen on the twenty-ninth of April.” Tetsu says.

“Oh, my.” All of Love giggles. “I thought you were older than that.”

“A lot of people do.” Tetsu notices All of Love clutching his arm. “Are you hurt?”

“Yes, I am.”

Yuri and Mary grab their Servamp’s coat again. They stare at Tetsu. “Tetsu, please, help him…” they say, tilting their heads.

“The Vampire Hunter got him,” Hugh explains to his Eve. “Luckily the wound isn’t fatal, but I think the bullet is still lodged in his arm. The wound isn’t healing like it should.”

Tetsu’s concern instantly moves elsewhere. “Are you hurt, Hugh?”

Hugh shakes his head. “No, I’m not hurt. Just him. I was hoping you would let him stay with us for the night while I figure out how to fix his wound.”

All of Love gives him a pleading look. “Please. Just for one night.”

The twins do the same. “Please, help us.”

The human looks down at the two little girls, and then stares into the Servamp’s eyes. “You’re Hugh’s brother, right?”

All of Love nods. “Yes.”

“Then I’ll let you stay here for a night.”

All of Love’s eyes light up. He sighs with relief. “Thank you, so much.”

Hugh smiles. “He’s a Vampire, too, Tetsu. Make sure his room doesn't get any sunlight.”

“Got it.”

A while later, the five of them are in one of the rooms at the resort. Hugh and All of Love are watching the twins, who are in the corner of the room, drawing pictures with some crayons and paper that Tetsu found in the lobby of the resort. Tetsu had also gotten some wooden boards from a shed outside, and taken the liberty of boarding off the windows in this room, too, so that the sunlight wouldn’t hurt the Vampires staying inside of it.

“My dad is going to be mad at me for this,” he says once he’s finished.

“It’s worth it.” Hugh waves his hand dismissively. “Now, All of Love, I need to get a better look at that wound. Would you mind taking off your shirt?”

All of Love giggles. “Do you even have to ask?”

A few seconds later and his shirt is off. He almost took his pants off, too, but luckily Hugh was able to stop him before he could. The youngest of the Servamps sits on the floor, while Hugh stands on a nearby coffee table, trying to see into the wound.

“I can’t see anything,” Hugh says. “Tetsu, go grab a flashlight.”

Tetsu leaves the room, and comes back with an entire toolbox. He opens it and finds the flashlight, which he then flicks it on and holds over the wound. Hugh leans back and forth, unable to see anything besides a lot of Vampire blood and flesh.

“One, this is disgusting,” Hugh says. “Two, there has to be a bullet in there. Why else would the wound not heal itself? I still can’t see it, though.”

“Do you need a brighter flashlight?” Tetsu asks.

“No, this one is fine. What I need to do is see deeper into the wound.” Hugh uses his fingers to attempt to pry the skin further apart.

“Ah!” All of Love cries out.

The twins instantly turn and look. “All of Love!” they cry.

“I’m okay,” he assures them. “I’m fine. Don’t worry.”

“I think you're hurting him,” Tetsu says.

“I know,” Hugh answers, “but there’s no other way to do this. Move the flashlight a little bit closer.”

Tetsu does as he’s told, and this time, Hugh can see something inside of the wound, reflecting the light. It shines right into his eyes, making him blink.

“Tetsu,” he says, “move the flashlight back and forth again.” Once he does, Hugh is certain of it. “Yup! I was right, like always! The bullet is lodged in there. We have to get it out, somehow.”

“Hugh,” Tetsu says, “Just stick your fingers in there and pull it out.”

“Ew. No.” Hugh looks into the wound again. “I think maybe if we had a long enough pair of tweezers we could get it out.”

Just the thought of this alone makes All of Love feel sick to his stomach. “This will hurt a lot.”

“Would you rather have that wound forever?” Hugh looks at him. “That’s what I thought. Tetsu, do you have any really big tweezers?”

“Uh…” Tetsu starts digging around in that toolbox again. “Will needle-nose pliers work?”

“I don’t like the sound of that,” All of Love whispers.

“They’re just like tweezers only bigger.” Hugh says. “Yeah, they will work. Just go wash them off and make sure there’s no rust on them.”

“I will.”

All of Love stares at Hugh. “Why would it matter if there’s rust on them?”

“Do you want a rust-colored patch of skin where your wound was? I didn’t think so.” Hugh takes a breath. “Trust me, brother, I know what I’m doing.”

Tetsu comes back with a clean pair of needle-nose pliers. “Thank you, Tetsu,” Hugh says, taking them from his Eve’s hand. He then turns back to the wound. “Now, I need you to hold that flashlight again.”

“Got it.”

“All of Love,” The Vampire he addressed turns to face him, “I think this will be easier if you lay down.”

“Alright.”

A little while later, and this looks a lot like an surgery scene. All of Love is laying over the table, with Tetsu leaning over him with a flashlight, and Hugh standing over him holding a pair of pliers. All they need now is surgical masks and scrubs, and they’ll look just like surgeons performing an operation. That, and their patient should probably be unconscious, or at least sedated to some extent.

“Okay, now, what’s the best way to do this?” Hugh inspects the wound again.

“Are you sure you know what you’re doing, Old Child?” All of Love asks.

“Hugh is always right,” Tetsu says. “He knows what he’s doing.”

“Of course you would say that. You’re his Eve.” All of Love stares at his older brother. “Have you ever done anything like this before?”

“Nope, but how hard can it be?” Hugh squints his eyes, trying to see into the wound. “Besides, you’re a Vampire. It’s not like this can kill you.”

“No, but it will hurt.”

“Small price to pay for saving your arm.” Hugh takes a breath. “Tetsu, use your other hand to hold the wound open, please.”

Tetsu does it without even thinking about it.

“Ah!” All of Love winces again.

“All of Love!” the twins yell again.

“I’m okay, sweeties,” he says. He then looks at his brother. “Okay, okay, I’ll trust you to do this, just hurry up.”

“It’s about time.” Hugh looks again, and sees the silver bullet, lodged deep into his arm. “I don’t think it hit the bone, but it is pretty deep.” He grabs the pliers and pulls the nose apart. “Alright. Let’s get this over with.”

* * *

 

“Mahiru… Mahiru…”

“Nngh… that was a weird dream. I had a dream that there was a Vampire in my house.”

“Mahiru. Wake up.”

The human boy finally opens his eyes, only to see a strange man leaning over him.

“AAAHHH!”

Mahiru sits up, grabbing something out of his pocket. He thrusts his hand out in front of him, revealing that spray bottle of holy water.

Kuro shrieks and jumps back, holding his hands up protectively in front of him. “NO! DON’T YOU DARE SPRAY ME AGAIN!”

Mahiru blinks, staring into Kuro’s red eyes. His white hair falls into them. The Vampire looks almost afraid, the way he’s staring at that holy water. Mahiru’s heart, though pounding, starts to relax. He lowers his hand and sighs.

“So it wasn’t a dream,” he says.

“No, it wasn’t. Unfortunately.” Kuro sighs. “But I thought we already established that I’m not going to hurt you.”

“We did. Sorry. I just freaked out.” Mahiru puts the holy water away and stares at Kuro. “So, why did you wake me up?”

“I saw Old Child and All of Love,” Kuro says. “Two of the other Vampires. I don’t know where they were going, but I’m sure they’re running from the Hunter, too.”

Mahiru is still slightly disconnected from reality. “Wait, you saw other Vampires?”

“Yes, I did. Last night, while you were sleeping.” Kuro looks so annoyed it’s almost funny. “I’m the oldest of the seven. All of Love is the youngest. We kind of see each other as brothers. He looked like he was hurt, which is weird, since Vampires don’t feel pain unless… oh… oh no.”

“What?” Mahiru sits bolt upright, staring at his Vampire.

“That Hunter got him.” Kuro stands up. He then falls back down. “But I don’t know where he is, and looking for him seems like such a pain.”

“If your brother is hurt you have to help him!” Mahiru stands up. “Look, if I’m stuck with you for twenty-four hours the least I can do is help you protect your family. Family is one of the most important things in the world.”

“He was with Old Child; I’m sure he’s fine.” Kuro rolls over, staring up at Mahiru. Once he sees the look in that human’s eyes, a sense of dread settles in his stomach. “I can’t convince you to just stay here, can I?”

“Nope!” Mahiru looks out the window of his apartment as if he expects to see two Vampires outside right that second. “Where do you think they went?”

“Beats me.” Kuro lets out a tired sigh. “And looking for them seems like a lot of trouble.”

“It’s worth it, though.” Mahiru smiles at him. “Think about it: you’re stuck with an Eve for twenty-four hours, and as a result, you get his help taking care of your brothers.”

“Your help seems like a lot of work for me.” He draws a deep breath and lets out another sigh. “It’s not like I can just stay here while you go look. We can’t be more than a certain distance apart. I have to come with you.”

Mahiru gives him an annoyed look. “Seriously, why are you so lazy?”

Kuro gives him an equally annoyed look, one that says humans are very stupid. “The seven Servamps. Seven.” Kuro holds up seven fingers. “What else is there seven of that could possibly explain why I’m so lazy?”

Mahiru thinks about it, but nothing comes to mind. “What?”

The Vampire puts his hands down. “Do I have to spell everything out for you?” He sighs. “Seven deadly sins. Guess which one I am.”

It clicks after that. “You’re the Servamp of Sloth, aren’t you?”

“Yup.” Kuro shuts his eyes and nearly falls back to sleep. “I shouldn’t have woken you up. I got excited when I saw my brothers.”

“Why did you get so excited anyway?” Mahiru sits down next to him.

“Because…” Kuro sighs. “Because I was glad they were still alive.”

Mahiru’s eyes widen. Kuro, the laziest Vampire in existence, got excited because he saw that his brothers were still alive? “Misono’s really dangerous, huh?” He stands back up, and holds out his hand. “In that case, we have to find them and make sure they’re still alright.”

“I’m sure they’re fine.” Kuro rolls over, and then covers his face. “Grr… NO, THEY’RE NOT FINE!” He sits up, looking almost wide awake for a second. He instantly gets tired again and falls back down. “But I just… I just don’t _feel like it_.”

Mahiru backs up. “Are you okay?”

Kuro is rolling back and forth, as if he’s wrestling with himself. Eventually, he makes himself stand up. He meets Mahiru’s eyes, and narrows his own. “Let’s go find my brothers.”

Mahiru narrows his own eyes and nods. “Let’s go.”

The Vampire switches into his animal form. Soon enough, Mahiru has a tiny black cat resting on his shoulder. Accepting this, Mahiru leaves his apartment and heads down the street.

“Can you sense them or anything?” Mahiru asks.

“No,” Kuro answers. “Well, kind of. I get this feeling when they’re around, but sometimes I get it when they’re not actually there.”

“So like a gut instinct.” Mahiru whispers, hoping that it looks like he’s whispering to himself, and praying that it doesn't look like he’s talking to his cat. “More often than not you can trust those. I guess we’ll just have to wander around until-”

“Yo, Mahiru!”

Mahiru stops. That voice is one he knows well. He turns around, and a few moments later, he’s face to face with his best friend. “Hi, Sakuya.”

“Hey.” Sakuya notices the cat perched on Mahiru’s shoulder. “What’s with the cat?”

“Oh! He’s a stray I picked up. I found him in the alleyway. His name is Kuro.”

Sakuya reaches a hand out and scratches Kuro behind the ears. “Well, he’s adorable. No wonder you picked him up. But seriously? You named him Kuro?”

“I like simple names!” Mahiru can feel his face heating up. “It was easy to think of and easy to remember.”

“Fair enough.” Sakuya smiles at him. “So, where are you off to?”

“Oh, you know, I just have some errands to run. Like always.” Mahiru laughs nervously. He looks into his friend’s eyes, hoping that what he’s saying sounds genuine enough for Sakuya to believe. “I have a few more things I need to pick up from the supermarket before school starts back up.”

“Oh yeah, that’s coming up soon. I completely forgot school was a thing.” Sakuya chuckles. “You gonna bring that cat to class?”

“Honestly, yeah, I think I will.” Mahiru laughs and pets Kuro.

“You do know that nobody’s gonna be able to focus with that little kitten in the room, right? I mean, I can barely focus and I’m standing in the middle of the sidewalk.” Sakuya pets Kuro again, and listens to him purr. “Oh, he likes that.”

“He tries to pretend he hates being pet, but he actually likes it a lot.” Mahiru chuckles.

“So he’s a tsundere?”

Mahiru laughs even harder. “A tsundere kitten.”

Kuro hisses, which just makes them laugh even harder.

“I swear to God he can understand us,” Sakuya looks at Kuro with an amused expression. “But hey, since you’re heading to the supermarket, do you mind if I come with you?”

_Crap_ , Mahiru thinks. “Uh… I don’t mind. You can come with me.”

“Sweet. I need to pick up some stuff for school, too.”

Kuro gives Mahiru a glare, which the human doesn’t see. In fact, Mahiru gets absorbed talking to Sakuya the whole way down the sidewalk toward the supermarket. Kuro is tempted to stick his claws into his Eve’s shoulder.

So he does.

“Ow!” Mahiru looks at the cat, who’s giving him a look that says, ‘focus!’ Mahiru looks at Sakuya and gives him a sympathetic smile.

“I think I should probably take Kuro home, actually,” Mahiru says. “I don’t think he likes being out and about too much. Besides, I don’t exactly need to shop right this second.”

“Oh, alright.” Sakuya meets his eyes. “We should totally meet up later, though. In a few hours, maybe? Oh, wait, wait, wait.” Sakuya reaches into his pocket and frantically digs around until he pulls out a giftcard. “I won this in a radio contest. We should meet for dinner, on me.”

Mahiru smiles. “That sounds great, Sakuya…”

His words trail off when he looks into his best friend’s eyes. He can’t believe he never noticed it before. For the longest time, he just thought Sakuya’s eyes were a weird shade of brown, or auburn. In the three years they have been friends, Mahiru never noticed how red Sakuya’s eyes are.

Sakuya grins, which throws Mahiru off even more. Sakuya has really sharp-looking insciscors. Have they always looked like that? Have his eyes always been that red? Or is Mahiru just getting paranoid about the whole ‘Vampire’ thing?

“Awesome,” Sakuya says. “I’ll see you then.”

“Wait, what time?” Mahiru says. “I know you said dinner, but when’s dinner?”

“Oh, right. Ha!” Sakuya checks his phone. “Seven?”

“That works for me.” Mahiru says. He turns back around, trying to make it look like he’s actually going back to his apartment. “See you later, Sakuya.”

“See ya!”

They part ways, and once Sakuya turns a corner, Mahiru whips around and sprints down the sidewalk. “Kuro, is Sakuya a Vampire?”

“Huh?” Kuro responds. “I wasn’t paying attention; sorry.”

Mahiru sighs. “His eyes looked really red, and his teeth looked really sharp.”

“He might be. Who knows? There’s a lot of Vampires running around this town. It’s a Vampire hot-spot.”

“But why!?” Mahiru finally slows to a walk. “Why do Vampires like it here if a Vampire Hunter is running around?”

“We’re really inconspicuous around here.” Kuro sighs. “The humans are all so simple-minded. They don’t notice anything unless they’re looking for it. There’s another reason, too, but I’d rather not get into it.”

“Why not?”

“Because people might start questioning the talking cat if I keep going.”

Mahiru then remembers that he’s talking to the cat on his shoulder. “You’re right. It might look pretty weird.”

They continue down the sidewalk. So far, Kuro hasn’t gotten any gut feelings that his siblings are nearby. They head right through downtown, and eventually pass by a music hall. Mahiru looks up at it. There are a few future performances listed, and he starts wondering if any of them would be worth attending.

“RR-EOW!”

Mahiru jumps when Kuro screeches on his shoulder. The cat frantically climbs down Mahiru’s back, and eventually hides behind his legs.

“What is it?” Mahiru asks.

“Look on the ground, right there,” Kuro says.

Mahiru looks on the ground, and then sees why Kuro suddenly freaked out.

On the sidewalk, looking like he’s unconscious and homeless, is Misono Alicein. It looks like he fell asleep outside of the concert hall, for some indiscernible reason. People walk right past him, not paying him any mind. It’s like it’s a completely normal thing to see a small kid asleep on the sidewalk up against a building.

Mahiru can see Misono’s gun on his side, along with a few more Vampire hunting tools on his belt. He can also feel Kuro trembling against his ankles.

“Let’s just keep walking,” the cat whispers.

Mahiru would, if not for his guilty conscious. If he does walk right past Misono, he’s definitely going to feel bad about that later.

So, against his Servamp’s wishes, Mahiru walks over and gives Misono’s shoulder a gentle shake.

“Misono?” he whispers. “Misono, what are you doing out here?”

“Ugh…” Misono stirs, and sits up. He rubs his eyes, looking like a tired little boy who has to wake up for school. He then stands up, and yelps. “My back! Ouch!” He stretches it out, and it cracks so loudly that it sounds like his spine broke in half. Mahiru cringes so violently that he hurts his face. Misono then opens his eyes again and sees Mahiru standing in front of him. “Oh, it’s you again. Shirota, right?”

Mahiru finally recovers from that awful cracking sound. He smiles and nods. “Yeah, it’s me. What are you doing out here? You were asleep outside of the concert hall.”

“I know.” Misono looks back at the spot where he fell asleep. “I’m not sure what happened, exactly. One minute I was standing here watching some pianist up on that screen, and the next I was out cold up against the building.”

Mahiru looks at the future show dates and says, “Licht Jekylland Todoroki, by chance?”

“Yes, I think that was his name.” Misono looks up at the board, too. “He’s playing again tonight. I don’t know why, but there’s something off about him. While I was out here last night, someone spoke to me. I can’t remember exactly what they said, but I know they called Todoroki their ‘angel’.”

“It was probably his girlfriend or something.”

“No, no. That voice was definitely male.” Misono looks at Mahiru again. “You haven’t run into any more Vampires, have you?”

Mahiru feels his heart tighten, and begin to pound. He can’t tell Misono about Kuro. He shakes his head. “Not since you saved me last time,” he lies.

“Good. I think the Vampires know that I’m the one who rescued you.” Misono pulls his gun out, revealing to Mahiru for the first time that it’s a revolver. Mahiru watches the cylinder pop out, and Misono gives it a spin to make sure every chamber is loaded. “I like revolvers. They don’t jam, they don’t need to be cocked, there’s no safety to click off. They’re so convenient.”

“They’re also really dangerous if you point them at people.” Mahiru steps around Misono, so he’s standing behind him. “Put that thing away. You’ll get arrested.”

Misono snaps the cylinder back into place, and puts it back in its holster. He then yanks his shirt further down, so it’s covered. “What are you doing out and about?”

_Not this again._ “I had some errands to run.”

Much to Mahiru’s relief, Misono is satisfied with that answer. “The servants back at the mansion are probably worried sick about me.” He checks his cell phone and sighs. “I was right. Fifteen missed calls.”

“Wait, servants? Mansion?” Mahiru stares. “You're rich?”

Misono gives him a look. “What gave it away? My gun? My clothes? Or did you not know until I said that I have servants back at the mansion?”

Mahiru’s eyes widen. “You’re rich, you’re a Vampire Hunter, and you know how to shoot a gun like a professional.”

“Pfft. I wouldn’t say a professional. Three times now I’ve missed my shot and the Vampire I was chasing got away. I can’t hit a moving target.” Misono leans against the wall, staring at Mahiru. A moment later, he grabs Mahiru’s arm and pulls a pen out of his pocket. He writes something on Mahiru’s skin, and meets his gaze with a stare that’s all-too serious. “Keep an eye out for any more Vampires. And let me know if you see any.”

With that, he walks away. Mahiru looks at his wrist, and attempts to decipher what’s written on it. Eventually, he realizes that what Misono wrote on his arm is his phone number.

“Well,” Mahiru says. “I always fantasized about getting someone’s number, but I never thought it would be a rich Vampire Hunter’s.”

“You probably never thought it would be guy’s either.” Kuro climbs back onto his Eve’s shoulder.

“That, too.” Mahiru starts walking down the sidewalk again. “Can you sense any of the other Servamps?”

“I feel like there’s one inside of that music hall, but something tells me that it isn’t All of Love or Old Child.” Kuro sighs. “Why did you wake up the Vampire Hunter?”

“Because I would’ve felt bad just leaving him there on the sidewalk.” Mahiru looks at Kuro. “It’s the same reason I picked you up when you were a stray cat in the alley.”

“You’re too kind, and trusting. Who’s side are you even on?”

“I haven’t killed you yet, have I?” Mahiru draws a breath. “How long until our contract is over?”

“It’ll end at exactly 12:19 AM.” Kuro sighs. “I’ve been counting down the seconds.”

“Glad to know you like having a contract with me.” Mahiru looks around. “I have a bad feeling, for some reason.”

“About what?”

“I don't know. I just feel like something really bad is about to happen.” Mahiru sighs. “I don't know. I’m probably just paranoid. Let’s keep looking for your siblings.”

* * *

 

Misono walks down the street, heading back in the direction of the mansion. As much as he knows he should get back home, he doesn’t exactly want to.

He has way more important things to do. He has Vampire to find, and kill. The last thing he wants is to just head back home and sit in the garden while the servants go out and hunt. Misono can hunt for himself, thank you.

Why does he feel like he’s being watched? Misono keeps glancing over his shoulder, but there isn’t anybody there as far as he can see.

Misono feels water hit his head, and arms, and shoulders. He looks up at the sky. The sun is still shining. Rain is falling from nothing; there isn’t a cloud in sight. As strange as that is, Misono doesn’t feel scared so much as on-edge.

Then, he hears footsteps.

They don’t sound like normal footsteps. Depending on the shoes someone is wearing, footsteps can sound different, but these ones aren’t anything like Misono’s ever heard before. They don’t sound like bare feet, or sneakers, or even high heels. They sound so strange, but Misono knows they’re footsteps.

“You there.”

That’s a weird voice. Misono has never heard it before. He looks around, and everything is gone. The buildings, the street, even the people, have all disappeared, replaced with nothing but an endless sea of red. He reaches for his side. He still has his revolver. Good. He feels like he’s going to need it.

“Do you know any stories?” The voice goes on. “Any… _interesting_ ones?”

Misono spins in a circle, and at last, his eyes land on someone in the distance. They’re walking over to him. He notices their strange footwear: wooden sandals, which are responsible for the odd clicking noise that his feet make with every step he takes. He’s dressed in a kimono, a very traditional Japanese article of clothing. Usually, they’re worn during special occasions, but this person is wearing it on an average summer day.

The Hunter narrows his eyes. If this is the only person he can see in an infinite sky of red, then this person must not be a person at all. There’s an off-chance he’s a Sorcerer, or a master of illusions, but Misono’s mind lands on the only feasible option.

This strange man is a Vampire.

“I have a story for you,” he says. “Once upon a time, over a hundred years ago, there was a family, known as the Alicein family. They were very wealthy, and respected throughout the entire community. They knew more than anyone else, especially about Vampires. They knew all about the seven Servamps. Sleepy Ash of Sloth, Old Child of Pride, Doubt Doubt of Envy, The Mother of Wrath, Lawless of Greed, World End of Gluttony, and All of Love of Lust. In fact, this Alicein family was almost… friends, with the Vampires. Can you believe that?”

The strange man laughs maniacally. He then sighs, and goes back to his story, a blank, bored expression crossing his face.

“Then, one day, a certain Vampire got bored, and curious, and thought what would happen if this family of humans… despised Vampires?” A strange smile takes over his face. “I’ll let you fill in the rest.”

Misono narrows his eyes at this strange man. “Lo and behold, this family has despised Vampires ever since.”

“Hehe… that’s right. And sadly, the generations of Aliceins have gone on so long that the tale is lost to time. You probably don’t even know what happened that day, a hundred years ago. All you know is that it started a war. A war between Aliceins and Vampires.”

Misono finally stares into this man’s eyes. Once he sees the red, he knows for a fact he’s right. “And you’re a Vampire. And I’m an Alicein. Can you guess what’s about to happen?”

“Hehe… AH HA HA HA HA!” He throws his head back and laughs another maniacal laugh, this one lasting even longer than the first one. He laughs long enough for Misono to draw his gun and fire a bullet. The Vampire gets out of the way in time, though, and the bullet flies off into the distance, hitting who knows what behind that sea of red.

“DIE YOU LEECH!” Misono shouts, aiming again and firing again.

“You don’t even know who I am!” The Vampire ducks, and dashes around, ending up behind the human boy. He grabs him in a headlock, cutting off his breathing. “You don’t know my name, what I stand for, anything about me. All you know is that I’m a Vampire, and that’s more than enough for you to want me dead. Isn’t that tragic?”

Misono points his gun behind himself and fires. The Vampire releases his neck, and Misono gasps for breath, coughing and hacking. “You don’t know anything about me, either.”

“I know you’re an Alicein, and I know you hate Vampires.” The Vampire steps back, letting Misono get a good look at his entire body. “And that’s all I need to know to want you dead. Besides, chasing you and running from you is so interesting, and I’m so, so very bored.”

_Bored._ Misono thinks about this strange Vampire, and his story that he told. “It was you, a hundred years ago, that started this whole thing, wasn’t it?”

A second later, and the Vampire is right in front of him, only a few inches away. Misono could’ve pressed his gun to the Vampire’s chest and fired, if not for the shock causing him to drop it.

“Yes, I’m the reason your family despises Vampires. So what? I’m the one who attacked that day a few hundred years ago. So what? I got bored, and curious, and thought, what if this family wasn’t our friend? What if they went after my siblings, destroying them one by one?” The Vampire’s grin got wider with each word. “What if I started a war?”

Misono doesn’t have his gun, but he does have holy water, which isn’t quite as effective, but it’ll do in a pinch. He draws it out of his belt and sprays it.

“TOO CLOSE!” he shouts.

The Vampire is gone from sight in an instant. Misono whips around, just as the Vampire dives for him. The human drops to the ground and grabs his gun, aiming and firing twice. Neither of those shots appear to do any damage, since the Vampire is still dashing circles around him and diving over him like he’s a vault during a gymnastics act.

“QUIT RUNNING YOU COWARD!” Misono spins in a circle and stumbles sideways, dizzy from having to spin so much.

The Vampire continues laughing that entire time. At last, his laughter stops. “I’m bored. This isn’t as fun as I thought it would be. Maybe we should raise the stakes. Your little friend, what’s his name? Shirota?”

Misono narrows his eyes. “What do you know about Shirota?”

“I know he picked up a cat in the alleyway yesterday.” The Vampire is still nowhere to be seen. Every time Misono spins around, the Vampire dives to the other side of him. It’s like a very annoying game of tag.

“So?” Misono checks his revolver again. Only two bullets left before he has to reload.

“That cat he picked up, well…”

A second later, Misono sees a fox on the ground. He stares at it, and points his gun at it. “You can turn into a fox, huh?”

“I’m impressed. Most people think I’m a dog.” The fox transforms back into the Vampire, who then stares at Misono with a melancholy expression. “You poor, poor, pitiful thing. Your friend lied to you. He has seen another Vampire. That cat he picked up is one.”

Misono narrows his eyes. “Shirota wouldn’t lie. You, however, I’m not so sure about.”

“You don’t trust me?” The Vampire tilts its head. It then straightens its head and smiles. “Smart boy. You shouldn’t trust people you’ve just met. Oh, wait.”

Misono growls. “Humans are different.”

“Ha!” The Vampire throws its head back and laughs again. “Humans are different? Really, how are they different? In the way they think? The way they talk? The way they act? It really isn’t as different as you think.”

“Vampires are bloodsucking monsters that follow their instincts.” Misono clenches his teeth. “All they know how to do is kill.”

“Really? You’ve never seen a Vampire show compassion before? You’ve never seen one look guilty? Or sympathetic? Or maybe even… regretful?”

Misono has a flashback to that Vampire that killed his father. The way it looked at him like it was almost in pain, almost like it regretted what it did. He nearly winced, but he manages to stop himself and continues glaring at the creature before him.

“Never,” he lies. But he doesn’t care. It’s not like it matters if he tells this demon the truth.

“That’s tragic.” The Vampire still doesn’t seem to want to let him go. Everything around him is still red. The only two people there are him and the Vampire. “Some Vampires truly do seem loving. At least, to others of their kind. But some do have soft spots for humans. There’s one I can think of right this second who loves and cares for humans.” He blinks. “And of course, most Servamps have a soft spot for their Eve, too.”

Eve. Misono knows all about that. Servamps form contracts with humans, and that human becomes the Servamp’s Eve, or master. The Eve and the Servamp tend to form a special bond, one unlike any other kind of relationship. Their souls and minds become intertwined, and if they’re separated for a certain length of time, the Eve will die. The contract also lasts for the rest of that human’s life.

It sounds terrifying, being attached to a Vampire for your whole life. But at the same time, that bond could be useful, for one reason or another.

“All Vampires care about is blood.” Misono raises his gun again. “Say goodbye, demon.”

“Goodbye.”

At that moment, the Vampire disappears.

So does the red. The sea of red is suddenly gone, replaced with the buildings once more. The people walking down the street are staring in terror at the boy, who is now pointing a gun at some random person on the street. He sticks the gun back in its holster, praying to God that nobody called the police.

“It’s a toy,” he lies. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you.”

The people are still wary of him, but nevertheless they let it go. Besides, he looks enough like a little child that it makes sense for the gun to be a toy. Though, it sure as Hell doesn’t look like a toy.

Misono looks left and right. The Vampire is completely gone, with no sign of it anywhere. The human clenches his fists and growls. He storms down the street in a fit of anger. People practically dive out of his way.

Shirota Mahiru picked up a cat. Misono didn’t know about that one. Mahiru had never told him about the cat. Apparently, that cat is a Vampire. Misono nearly laughs out loud. How stupid does that Vampire think he is? If that cat did turn out to be one of the seven Servamps, surely Mahiru would be smart enough to get rid of the thing the moment he figured it out. If he’s half as smart as Misono, he would’ve sprayed that Vampire with holy water and killed it the second he saw its red eyes.

That’s another Vampire that got away, but it’s definitely one that’s on Misono’s radar from this point forward. How many Servamps are in this town? There’s the one that killed Misono’s father, the one that saved him, and the one that attacked Mahiru in the alleyway.

Three. And then, of course, there’s the one that Misono just encountered. Four.

Which one is which? What are their names? Misono has to prioritize these Vampires. The one he just ran into is apparently the reason for the feud between the Servamps and the Alicein family. Despite that Vampire attempting to get him to turn against his new friend, Misono has a feeling that this Vampire wasn’t lying about starting that war.

Then, of course, there’s the one that killed his father, and the second one that saved him while Misono was trying to kill him.

Lastly, there’s the one that attacked Shirota Mahiru in the alleyway.

He has to figure out which one is which. He isn’t sure why, but he feels like it’ll be easier to track them down if he knows their name and their sin. Of course, he knows what they look like. He knows that the one who attacked Mahiru has white hair and is dressed in blue. He knows that the one who killed his father is blond and dressed in pink. He knows the one that saved the one who killed his father looks like a child, and dresses like a mini count Dracula.

And of course he knows the appearance of the one he just ran into.

But something tells him that he’ll need more information about these Servamps in order to hunt them all down. Misono is certain that that information will be back at the mansion, stored away in a book or journal somewhere in the house. All he has to do is ask a servant for it, and they’ll bring it to him. That’s the beauty of being the master of the house.

Of course, there’s also the downside of the servants trying to do everything for him, including hunt down the Vampires that he wants dead.

Maybe back then, when Misono was still little, it would make sense. But he isn’t a little kid anymore.

_I was so weak back then. No wonder they wanted to do everything for me._ He thinks back to those days, when he could barely get out of bed, when he couldn’t walk two feet without getting winded. When tripping and falling in the mansion could lead to a broken bone. His body was so weak, he was such a sick little child. The runt of the litter, if he had been born a cat or dog. Everyone thought he would always be that small and sickly.

But that was a long time ago. That was before his father died, and he vowed revenge. That was before he forced himself to train everyday to try to get stronger. He’d run laps around the mansion, fire his gun at targets in his backyard, practice maneuvers that he never would have been able to do when he was younger.

And by and by, he got stronger. Day by day, he could walk further, run faster, shoot better. Now, at age sixteen, he’s finally strong enough to hunt down these Vampires on his own. Though, the servants still sometimes view him as that weak, sick little boy who had to use a wheelchair to get around.

_Good thing I’m not like that anymore,_ he thinks. _Someone has to protect the humans of the world._

That Vampire back there referred to the feud between the Servamps and the Alicein family as a war. Misono feels in his pocket, where that pocket watch still remains, ticking with no sign of ever stopping. His other hand lands on his gun.

Maybe this is a war. And maybe, just like the ticking of that pocket watch, this war will never end.

_No,_ he thinks. _This war will end; I’ll make it end. And it will end with the Vampires’ demise._

He continues down the sidewalk with his hand in his pocket. He feels that gentle pulsing of that pocket watch, just like a heartbeat.

_“Your dad gave you that, huh?”_

_Misono nodded. “Yeah. He gave it to me right before he… he…”_

_The small boy gets choked up. Dodo rested his hand on the boy’s shoulder, not entirely sure what else to do. “It’s a nice watch.”_

_The small boy bit his lip and nodded again. He felt it ticking in his hand. If he held it up to his ear, he could hear it: tick, tock, tick, tock… It sounded just like a clock should sound, the noise that most people associate with one._

_“That’s one you have to wind, isn’t it?”_

_He wasn’t sure. Misono looked at the pocket watch curiously. “I don’t know.”_

_Dodo held out his hand. Misono rested the watch in his palm, and then Dodo took his turn inspecting it. “Yeah, you have to wind it. Here, I’ll do it the first time. You watch me, and then you can do it.”_

_Misono watched as Dodo twisted something on that watch, winding it back and resetting the time it displayed. “There. Now it’s doing what a watch is supposed to do.”_

_The small boy stared at it, watching the second hand tick around, and around. For some reason, it fascinated him, and he stared at it until it hit the top of the watch again, and the minute hand moved. “How many times do I have to twist it?”_

_“Uh… I think it’s once a day, but I don’t remember.”_

Once a day, you’re supposed to wind a pocket watch. Misono hasn’t had to wind it since that day, when Dodo did it the first time. He pulls the watch out of his pocket, just to look at it, and watch the second hand tick around. His eyes land on something in the lower left part of the watch, a random little decoration painted onto the face of it.

_“Hey, do you see that?” Dodo pointed at something on the face of the watch, something that he hadn’t noticed before._

_Misono stared at it, too. “Huh… there’s a butterfly on this watch.”_

_“Yeah, there is.”_

_In the lower left part of the watch, there was a tiny pink butterfly painted on. It was a random little decoration, but Misono found himself staring at it for a long time. He watched the second hand tick over it again, and again._

That butterfly. Misono stares at it, and remembers something really strange. He remembers in that alleyway, when he finally cornered that Vampire that killed his father. When that other one showed up, that little kid, and it told the first one to transform into its animal form.

That blond Vampire had turned into a butterfly. One that looked an awful lot like the one painted on the watch.

It must be a coincidence. Either that, or this pocket watch is older than Misono thought.

Misono suddenly tenses as a car pulls up beside him. He turns and looks at it. The window rolls down, revealing exactly who he expected.

“Dodo,” Misono says.

“Where have you been?” Dodo sounds worried, frustrated, and tired of this bullshit, all at the same time. “The other servants were about to cut my head off, since I’m the one who saw you last.”

“I got… sidetracked.” Misono climbs into the backseat of the car. “I saw that Vampire again.”

“Oh, you did?”

“Yeah. It got away again. I can’t hit a moving target; I need to practice that.” Misono looks out the window as Dodo drives away. The buildings start to fly past him. “I think you’re speeding.”

“I’m not speeding. I just need to get you home before the servants decide to sacrifice me to your ancestors.” Dodo looks at Misono in the rearview mirror. “Something bothering you?”

“I let it get away again.” Misono clenches his fists. “And I also met another one.”

“Huh?”

“That’s four that I know of. There’s four Servamps running around this town, and there’s probably more that I don't know about yet.” Misono shuts his eyes, trying to get the appearance of each one imprinted in his mind. “Once I get home, I need my dad’s old journals.”

“What for?”

“Because I want to know everything I can about these Vampires. I feel like it’ll make it easier to track them down and kill them.”

Dodo shrugs. “Fine by me. I’m just your chauffeur.”

_You're more than that._ Misono doesn’t say that out loud, though. There’s no point. Dodo probably already knows that anyway. Because despite having no idea how to comfort somebody, he did try his best to comfort Misono in his grief. Which was plenty. It was enough to make Misono’s relationship with him feel more like a family one rather than a servant-master type one.

“So how long are you going to stay at the mansion this time?”

“A few hours, just to let the servants catch their breath. Then, I’m heading back out, and I’m not coming back until one of those four Vampires is dead.”

Dodo actually blinks in astonishment. “”Whatever you say, I guess.”

“I’m not letting it get away this time.” Misono narrows his eyes. “That’s a promise.”

Dodo looks in the rearview mirror. That look on Misono’s face, that one of pure determination and rage, actually makes him smile.

“Let me know if you need my help,” Dodo says.

Misono’s response to that is, “Hmmph.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tsubaki has arrived. There was no way I could write this without him. Also, I like including the little flashbacks with Misono. I think it's cool writing it like that. And poor All of Love. Seriously. I don't know why things are so bad for him in this fic. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! See you in the next one!


	5. Compassion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone is alive. Someone that Misono didn't expect to be. 
> 
> Someone else is a Vampire. Someone that Mahiru refuses to believe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been so long! And these chapters are also about 20 pages each. I apologize, but I can't write short chapters with this fic. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

“There.” Hugh finishes covering the wound, finally. He then steps back, admiring his work. “I think that was a success.”

“Thank you so much, Old Child.” All of Love sits up, and tries to move his arm. “Ah!” the twins both look at him again. “It still hurts.”

“I think it’ll heal faster if you drink some blood.” Hugh turns into a bat. He flies up to Tetsu’s shoulder, and then transforms back into his small human form. He rests on his Eve’s shoulder and smiles.

All of Love looks back and forth. “Whose blood am I supposed to drink? Your Eve is the only human here.”

“I don’t mind.” Tetsu says, turning sideways and exposing his neck. “As long as you don’t take too much.”

“Trust me, All of Love, Tetsu’s blood is gourmet.” Hugh grins. “It’s delicious. Just don’t take too much. I need most of it for myself.”

All of Love is a bit shocked. “Are you sure, Old Child? You’re willing to share your Eve’s blood with me?”

“Yes, I am. Now hurry up and drink before I change my mind.”

That sealed it. All of Love grabs Tetsu and sinks his fangs right into his neck. To his surprise, the only response from the human is a slight grunt of pain. No wonder this is Old Child’s Eve. He must be tough enough to handle anything thrown at him.

His blood is also delicious. It’s the best tasting blood he’s had in a long time. The sweet, metallic flavor is enough to send him into euphoria. It tastes incredible, and the more blood that fills his mouth, the stronger he feels.

“That’s enough, All of Love!” Hugh says.

Right. This isn’t a human he can drain completely. It takes a few more seconds before All of Love releases him. He licks the remaining blood off his lips and teeth. Tetsu rests a hand over his neck. “Hugh, will you clean this up for me?” he asks.

“Of course.” Hugh crawls to the other side, and licks the dripping blood off his Eve’s neck. He then looks at All of Love. “Is that better, brother?”

All of Love removes the bandage over his arm, revealing that the wound has already faded into a scar. He gives Hugh a smile.

“You were right, as always,” he says. “Blood did make it heal faster.”

Hugh smiles, and then frowns. “I feel like I already know the answer to this, but I have to ask. What happened to the rest of your subclass?”

All of Love’s smile instantly fades. He covers his face and falls to his knees. A slight whimper escapes his mouth, and Yuri and Mary run over to him and hug him. He forces himself a bit more upright, so he can hug them back. He’s still on his knees, though, and his face is buried in the children’s hair.

Hugh swallows. “Sorry, I know you don’t want to answer that.”

“No, it’s fine.” All of Love blinks, and tears fall. “I made a horrible mistake. That’s all you need to know. I made a terrible, horrible, awful mistake and my subclass paid the price for it.”

“Was it the Alicein boy?” Hugh demands.

“No. He had nothing to do with it.” All of Love takes a deep, shaky breath. “It was his family, though, and the servants. They are the ones who are responsible for it.”

All of Love moves, so he isn’t on his knees anymore. The twins crawl into his lap, and he holds them tightly against his chest. “I went in there with more than eighty,” All of Love says. “And… I left with two.”

Hugh stares at the twins, who are clinging to their Servamp. No matter what happened, how big of a mistake All of Love claims to have made, those twins still love him. That’s the power of a subclass: they’re unconditionally loyal to the Vampire who created them.

“Hey…” Tetsu stares at one of the pictures that the twins had drawn. “Is this me?”

Mary looks up and nods. “Yes. I drew you.”

Tetsu looks at the picture again, a blank expression on his face. They all wait for what he’s going to say. All of Love is ready to tear his weapon out if he dares insult the children’s artistic abilities.  

Then, the human smiles. “I love it.”

Hugh and All of Love can’t help but giggle at that. Mary gets up and hugs Tetsu’s leg. He then picks her up and holds her.

“You did a good job,” he tells her.

“Thank you,” she answers, hiding her face in his shoulder.

“Aw,” Hugh says. He walks over to the table, and then lets out a triumphant. “Ha!” He holds up a picture drawn by the other twin. “I know me when I see me! You drew me!”

Yuri looks at him and nods.

“I love it!” He hands it to Tetsu. “Hang that up on my bedroom wall!”

Yuri giggles. She runs over and hugs Hugh. Hugh is stunned for a second, and then he hugs her back.

“Thank you for helping All of Love,” she says.

“I’m his older brother. It’s my job to keep him safe.” Hugh smiles proudly. “And it’s also my job to get bullets out of his flesh.”

“Old Child! Don’t say that to the children!” All of Love says, horrified.

Hugh laughs. “Don’t worry, brother. They’re Vampires. Nothing I can say could possibly traumatize them.”

Eventually, the twins go back to All of Love, who gratefully holds them in his arms again. Hugh sits across from him, and Tetsu joins their circle.

“Have you slept at all?” All of Love asks the only human in the room.

Tetsu shakes his head. “No.”

“It’s eight in the morning! Humans need eight hours of sleep!” All of Love stares at the clock in dismay. “You should’ve gone to bed. I would’ve been fine until morning.”

“It’s okay,” Tetsu says, though he sounds way more tired than he looks. “I’m fine. I’ve gone three days without sleep before.”

“It’s true,” Hugh smiles. “The resort was really busy. He had to stay up all night to get the work done.”

“It was a lot of work.” Tetsu leans against the wall. “I’m alright. I’ll sleep good tonight and make up for it.”

“If you say so.” All of Love looks at Hugh. “Do you know where Sleepy Ash is?”

Hugh shakes his head. “No, I don’t, but I have a feeling he’s going to find us soon. It would surprise me if he wasn't looking for us.”

“He is the Servamp of Sloth.”

“And you’re the Servamp of Lust, which explains why you still haven’t put on your shirt.” Hugh finally notices All of Love’s bare torso.

The Servamp of Lust giggles in response.

“Hey, guys?” Tetsu speaks up. “I need to get downstairs and get to work. Just call the front desk if you need anything.”

“Alright. Thanks, Tetsu,” All of Love says.

“No problem.”

Tetsu leaves the room, leaving the Vampires alone to discuss things.

“I think I’ll go out and see if I can find Sleepy Ash,” Hugh says.

“Hey, speaking of which,” All of Love says, “How did you go out looking for me? Isn’t there a distance limit with Servamps and Eves?”

“There is,” Hugh says. “But as long as I come back every few hours it’s fine. Usually I go out for, I don’t know, two hours, and then I come back to the hot springs, and then I go back out for another two hours.”

“Ah…” All of Love nods. “So you found a loophole?”

“Indeed I did, brother.” Hugh jumps up and transforms into a bat. “I’ll be back in a few hours. I’m sure I’ll run into Sleepy Ash at some point.”

“How do you know that?” The twins ask in unison.

“Ha!” He flies in a circle just for fun. “I just have this gut feeling. All of Love, could you get the door for me?”

All of Love opens the door to the hotel room. “See you later, big brother.”

“See you later.”

Hugh flies out the door, and All of Love shuts it behind him.

* * *

 

They’ve been walking down the sidewalk for hours now with no sign of any more Vampires. It’s almost noon, and the sun is shining. Mahiru starts doubting that they’ll even see any Vampires running around.

“Are you sure your siblings will be out?” Mahiru keeps shooting glances all around, but so far, there’s no sign of a Vampire anywhere. “Doesn’t sunlight kill Vampires?”

“Sunlight doesn’t kill Servamps; it just forces us to switch to our animal form. As for my siblings, I have this gut feeling that they’re looking for me.” Kuro looks up at the sky. “It might have something to do with the bat flying right there.”

“Ah!” Mahiru jumps when said bat flies a bit too close to his face. A bat out in the middle of the day is weird enough, but this bat seems to know exactly what it’s doing.

“So you’re my brother’s Eve,” the bat says.

“WAH!” Mahiru flails and falls backwards, landing on his butt on the sidewalk. The bat flutters around him, eventually settling on hovering in front of his face.

“Old Child,” Kuro says, hopping down from his Eve’s shoulder. “So you were looking for me.”

“Of course I was, brother.” The bat flies in a circle, and then seems to look back over its shoulder as if it’s human. “Let’s get out of the sunlight.”

The bat leads them into an alleyway, where Kuro switches back to his human form. He stands beside his Eve, leaning sideways against the wall. The bat flies around a little bit more, making sure there’s no witnesses. At last, it, too, switches forms.

Mahiru looks left, right, and finally down.

No wonder this Vampire is called “Old Child”.

“Did you hear about All of Love?” Old Child asks, looking up at Kuro curiously. “The Hunter got him; shot him with a silver bullet.”

“So he was hurt,” Mahiru says, remembering Kuro telling him that morning that he thought he saw two of the other True Vampires. “You said he looked hurt.”

“You saw us?” Old Child blinks up at Kuro. “Why didn’t you join us?” he smirks. “Or were you too caught up with your Eve?”

“Trust me, that’s as far from it as you can get.” Kuro sighs. “I saw you, but I didn’t feel like going all the way down the stairs of this human’s apartment building to get to you. Besides, I doubt I could’ve made it in time.”

"Tsk tsk. You are so lazy that you would let your little brothers wander around on their own with a Hunter on the loose?"

"You know me. You know how I am."

"Yes, I do. All of Love does, too. You're lucky he can forgive you. He's sensitive."

"He's not sensitive. a bit too caring, but not sensitive."

This conversation seems extremely casual for what’s going on. “Where is, what did you say his name was, All of Love?” Mahiru asks, trying to get them back on track.

“Don’t worry, mortal,” Old Child hops up onto a nearby trash bin, just to feel taller. “All of Love is taking refuge at my Eve’s establishment. I’m sure you’ve heard of it: White Water Hot Springs? It’s a lovely resort. You and Sleepy Ash should come visit.”

“Sleepy Ash?” Mahiru looks at Kuro. “That’s your name?”

“It’s my true name,” Kuro responds. “But since you’re kind of my Eve, I go by the name you gave me.”

Mahiru looks at Old Child. “You have an Eve, too, right? So, what’s the name he gave you?”

“Oh, my name?” Old Child does a dramatic gesture that involved swishing his cape and laughing maniacally. “I am Hugh the Dark Algernon III!” He bows. “Pleasure to meet you.”

Mahiru makes a face. “Uh… can I just call you Hugh?”

“I suppose.” Hugh flashes a fanged grin. “But anyway, as I was saying, All of Love is taking refuge at White Water Hot Springs. You and… Kuro, should come visit.”

“That sounds nice,” Mahiru says. “What do you think, Kuro?”

“Whatever you say,” Kuro responds. “You’re the Eve.” He sighs. “Why are we even called ‘Servamps’ anyway? We don't have a choice but to obey our Eve, and it's not like we get anything in return.”

“Well ‘slave-Vamp’ doesn’t have the same ring to it, now does it?” Hugh switches back to his animal form. “Follow me. I’ll lead you to White Water Hot Springs.”

Mahiru almost does, and then has second thoughts. “Wait, how do we know we can trust you?”

“You don’t.” Hugh flutters in the air, flying in circles. “But I did help All of Love when he was injured, and I do have an Eve. I think those are two reasons to trust me, but I don’t know how your mortal mind works.”

“And besides,” Kuro adds, “since we’ve been talking to Old Child, we haven’t gotten shot at.”

There’s a loud bang.

"AH!"

Kuro switches to his animal form and dives into a nearby trash can. Hugh screeches and flies into a dumpster. The only one left in the open is the human, curled into a ball, protecting his head and cowering in the middle of an alleyway.

“Where did you go?” he hears a voice say from behind him.

Mahiru slowly lifts his head up and looks over his shoulder. Someone is standing there, someone that’s he has never seen before. Whoever this man is, he is dressed like he is on his way to a rodeo. In his hand is a revolver, one that looks an awful lot like Misono’s.

“Who are you?” Mahiru asks, standing up.

“Get down, kid!” the man says. Mahiru instantly obeys, and the cowboy looks around again. “I think they’re gone. You can get up.”

Mahiru stands, and stares at the man with a confused expression. “Who are you?”

“Me? Just a traveling antique dealer who just so happens to know a thing or two about hunting bloodthirsty beasts.” He keeps his gun out, in his hand, held at his side. “Shirota Mahiru, I’m guessing your name is?”

Mahiru blinks. “How did you know that?”

“Word travels pretty fast around here. You’re an Eve, aren’t you?”

At that moment, Mahiru’s heart skips a few beats. Who is this guy? “Uh…”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” He sighs. “I was an Eve, too, for a while.”

“You ‘were’?”

“Yeah. Was. My Servamp got a little too… thirsty. I didn’t have a choice after that.” The man takes a deep, shaky breath. “They killed her. Abel, my sweet little doll.”

Vampires killed his ‘sweet little doll’. Mahiru’s first instinct is that this man is referring to his daughter, or something along those lines. Mahiru gives him a sympathetic look. “I’m… I’m sorry, for your loss.”

The emotions line up with the ‘daughter’ theory as well. His breathing is heavy, and shaky. He lowers his head, staring in despair at the ground. His entire body is shaking, like he wants to snap and go crazy, shooting everything around him. “Those Vampires will pay. They killed my sweet Abel, but they got my father, too. Though, I was out of the house by then. I didn’t even know he was dead until just recently. And those Vampires got my… my little brother, as far as I know. Isn’t that sad? I don’t even know if he’s alive or not.” He takes another deep breath. “Three people I loved, lost to those monsters.” The man lifts his head and glares at him. “You’re an Eve. Why did you even bother forming that contract?”

Mahiru suddenly feels threatened. He takes a step away from him. “It was an accident! I saw a stray cat, and I picked it up thinking it was just a cat. Come to find out it’s a Vampire.”

“You named a cat, put a collar on it, and suddenly formed a contract?”

“Yeah.” Mahiru meets his eyes, seeing the confused, almost disgusted expression on this strange man’s face. “I know it sounds extremely absurd, but… it’s the truth.”

“Oh I believe you. Vampires can be tricky sons of bitches.” The man looks over his shoulder, at the street. “Until then, I’d stay out of alleyways, if I were you.”

“I’ve been told that already, by another Hunter.” Mahiru’s eyes suddenly light up. “Maybe you know him! His name is Alicein Misono.”

At that moment, the man blinks, his expression turning blank. “Misono? Did you just say his name is Misono?”

“Uh, yeah.” Mahiru stares at him, trying to see his emotions. “Alicein Misono.”

“No way.” The man blinks, tears seeming to form in his eyes. “Yeah, I know him. Er, at least I did know him. I thought he was long dead.”

“Well, he isn’t. He saved my life yesterday. A Vampire attacked me.”

“He hunts them, too, now, huh?” The man cracks a smile. “I hope I run into him.”

“Was he a friend of yours?”

“Not quite.” The man looks at Mahiru, a smile still on his face. “I thought he was dead. I really did. I thought that when they killed my father, they got him, too. Alicein Misono is my little brother.”

Mahiru blinks and his heart skips another beat. “What? You’re his brother?” He starts comparing the two in his head. Misono, dressed almost semi-formally, with a stone cold demeanor and an almost bitchy undertone to his voice. And then this man, dressed like a cowboy, with an almost friendly exterior and a slightly deranged undertone to his voice.

“But you’re… you’re so _different_!” Mahiru exclaims. “How are you two brothers?”

“How are any two people brothers?” the man almost laughs. What comes out is a slight exhale that almost sounds like a chuckle. “Shirota, let Misono know that you saw me. Tell him that you met Mikuni. He’ll know what you mean.”

Mahiru stares at him. So his name is Mikuni Alicein. “I will. But… I have to ask something of you, too.”

“What is it?”

“Please, don’t shoot at Kuro. The cat. I know he’s a Vampire, but he’s my Vampire for the next… twelve hours. And don’t tell Misono I have him. Misono doesn’t know I’m an Eve, and I don’t want him to think I betrayed him.”

“That’s two things you're asking of me, and only one I’m asking of you.” Mikuni takes a breath. “Tell Misono you saw me, and tell him that I killed one of the Servamps.”

Mahiru feels his heart starting to pound. “Of course. It was nice meeting you.”

“Nice meeting you, too.”

Mikuni leaves after that. Kuro and Hugh come out of their hiding places. “We have to get out of here, now,” Hugh says. “I’ll lead you both to White Water. Just follow me and stay close.”

“Got it,” Mahiru says. “Come on, Kuro.”

The little black cat hops onto his shoulder. Mahiru raises his arm to pet him, and then notices something on his wrist.

It’s Misono’s phone number. The one that Misono wrote there when Mahiru woke him up outside of the concert hall. The boy finds himself wishing he had remembered it was there when he met Mikuni. That would’ve been nice, giving that man his little brother’s phone number, so they could talk and Mikuni could say for himself that he’s still alive.

Sadly, Mahiru had only just remembered it’s still there. However, he could call Misono and tell him that he ran into Mikuni.

So, that’s what he does.

“Who’s this?” That’s how Misono answers the phone.

“It’s Shirota,” Mahiru says. “I have something to tell you.”

“You didn’t run into any more Vampires, did you?”

“No, but I did run into someone else. He said his name was Mikuni.”

There’s silence on the other end for a bit. “Wait… Mikuni?” Misono sounds like he’s about to cry. “Mikuni? Alicein Mikuni?”

“Yeah. He said you were his little brother.”

“I…” Misono’s voice is shaking so badly that he doesn’t even sound like himself. “He’s still alive… where did you see him!? Where was he!?”

“I saw him shooting at a couple of Vampires, or I think they were Vampires. He was in that alley that you found me in.”

“Did you talk to him?”

“Yeah.”

“What did he say to you? Did he say anything about… did he mention being an Eve?”

Mahiru almost answers, and then remembers that he’s not supposed to know what an Eve is. “A what?”

“Servamps, they form contracts with humans.”

Mahiru remembers he’s not supposed to know any of this. “Servamps? What are you talking about?”

“GAH!” Misono sounds like he wants to punch Mahiru through the phone. “Forget about it! Just tell me if he said anything about being an Eve!”

“He did. He also said something about having to kill his Servamp.”

“So he _did_ break the contract…” Misono takes a breath. “When we were young, Mikuni formed a contract with one of the Servamps.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Long story. None of your business. He formed a contract with it, and then left the house, ran away with it. I thought he betrayed us, and that he would be gone forever, but you said he broke his Servamp and was shooting at a couple of Vampires, right?”

“Uh, yeah.”

“So he didn’t betray us. Either that, or he realized how bad Vampires are for himself. What else did he say?”

“He told me to tell you that I saw him. He wanted you to know he was still alive.”

“Well, now I know.”

There’s silence for a bit. Then, Mahiru remembers something else. “He thought you were dead. He thought that the Vampires got you when they got your dad.”

“I don’t blame him for thinking that.” Misono takes a breath. “Is that everything? Is that all you had to tell me?”

There is one more thing. “He mentioned the Vampires killing someone named Abel. His ‘sweet little doll’ he called her.”

“Abel, huh?” Misono has to think. “I have no idea who that is.”

“Okay, just wondering. He never specified who she was, so… I just assumed daughter.”

“That’s what I think, too. Probably his daughter, or his girlfriend, maybe. I didn’t know he had a daughter, if Abel is his daughter. Then again, I haven’t heard from him in years. He probably has a whole life I don’t know about.” He takes a breath. “Thanks, Shirota. Is that it?”

“Yeah, that’s it.”

“Good. Call me if you see any Vampires, or if you run into Mikuni again.”

That’s where Misono hangs up, without even saying goodbye. Mahiru puts his phone back into his pocket, and Kuro swats his cheek with his paw.

“Why did you call the Hunter?” Kuro asks.

“I saw his brother,” Mahiru answers. “I thought maybe he would want to know that as soon as possible.”

Kuro sighs. “The more you contact him, the more dangerous this gets.”

“I know.” Mahiru sighs. “But Kuro, Misono isn’t a bad person.”

“That’s what you think.”

The conversation dies after that. Mahiru checks his phone for any messages, and notices his lock screen. It’s a picture of him and Sakuya.

Sakuya. He has dinner plans with him, at seven, at a certain restaurant that Sakuya won a giftcard for. Mahiru remembers that restaurant: Demy’s. It’s a family joint, and it’s not a bad place, but it isn’t exactly gourmet, either.

“Do Vampires show up in photographs?” Mahiru asks.

“Depends on what kind of photograph,” Hugh answers from slightly above him. “If it’s a digital picture, like on a phone, or a disposable camera that you get developed at a pharmacy, they’ll show up just fine. If it’s an old picture, like a Polaroid or something from Victorian Era times, they won’t show up at all.”

“Oh.” Mahiru stares at the picture of him and Sakuya until the screen shuts off. “How far away is this place?”

“It’s a Hot Spring. It’s not going to be right smack-dab in the middle of town.” Kuro says.

“It’s out quite a ways,” Hugh answers. “I would’ve gotten us a taxi, but… I don’t wanna risk getting into a cab with another Hunter. Besides, you’re a strong human. You can walk.”

Sure, Mahiru can walk. But that doesn’t mean he won’t get tired of it. With a heavy heart, and tired knees, Mahiru keeps walking.

And walking.

And walking.

It had to have been at least two hours. Maybe even more. It’s about two in the afternoon by the time he gets there, and it was noon not that long ago.

They enter the resort and slip right past the empty front desk. “Is the resort closed?” Mahiru asks.

“No,” Hugh answers. “It’s not closed. But they are on lunch break right now. Just follow me. I’ll take you to where All of Love is resting.”

They follow Hugh up a bunch of stairs and down a bunch of hallways before finally reaching a certain hotel room. Hugh switches back to human form, and then pulls out a keycard from inside of his hat. He hands it to Mahiru, who unlocks the door and opens it.

“Brother, I have returned!” Hugh announces upon entering the room.

“Thank goodness,” All of Love responds. “I was worried that you wouldn’t come back.”

“Trust me, I’m an expert at avoiding Hunters.” Hugh steps out of the way, allowing Kuro and Mahiru to enter. “Sleepy Ash is here, too.”

“SLEEPY ASH!” All of Love jumps to his feet and runs over to embrace his brother. “YOU’RE ALIVE!”

Mahiru stares. All of Love is tall, with a beautiful face and a handsome body. And he also isn’t wearing a shirt. The sight makes Mahiru uncomfortable only until he notices that there is a scar on the Vampire’s arm. A bad one. One that must’ve come from a gunshot wound.

All of Love is also crying as he hugs his brother. Mahiru looks at his own Servamp, and sees that Kuro also has tears, even if he isn’t sobbing as openly as the other Vampire.

“Thank goodness.” All of Love steps back, and notices the human standing there with him. “And who is this?”

Kuro sighs. “This is my… Eve.”

All of Love smirks. “Does everyone have an Eve but me?”

Mahiru holds out his hand. “I’m Shirota Mahiru.”

“All of Love.” The Vampire shakes his hand, much to Mahiru’s relief. He figured that All of Love would hug him as tightly as he hugged Kuro. “It’s nice to meet you. You’re adorable.”

 _Adorable?_ “Thanks… I guess…” Mahiru retracts his hand and takes note of the scar on All of Love’s arm. “Was that from the… the Hunter?”

“Yes.” All of Love looks at his arm. “It’s still a bit sore, but it’s mostly healed now. I have Old Child… I mean, Hugh, to thank for that.”

Hugh smiles proudly. “All of Love, are you going to introduce your subclass?”

“Subclass?” Mahiru questions. There’s so much about Vampires that he doesn’t know.

“Oh, yes.” All of Love gestures to the two little kids in the corner of the room. “Yuri, Mary, come here!”

The kids run over and hug his legs. Mahiru looks down at them. They’re clearly a set of twins, with big adorable eyes and tiny bodies. They also have fangs and bright red irises.

“These kiddies are my subclass,” All of Love says. “Lower Vampires created by a Servamp. You know the typical Vampire myths? That sunlight turns Vampires into dust, and that they can only survive off blood?”

“Yeah…” Mahiru wonders where this is going.

“Well, subclass are more of the traditional Vampires that you think of. When you think of Vampires, you’re actually more often than not thinking of subclass Vampires.” All of Love smiles at him. “These kids are my subclass. I created them.”

“I have the most subclass of any Servamp,” Hugh says. “They’re created when a dying human drinks a Servamp’s blood. All of Love here tends to rescue orphans and take them in. That’s what these two kids were; orphans that he rescued.”

“Well that’s… that’s really sweet, actually.” Mahiru looks at the kids. “Are there any more of them?”

At that moment, Mahiru knows he asked something wrong. All of Love freezes, his bright eyes going dark. Kuro senses that something’s off, and he walks over and rests a hand on his brother’s arm. Hugh does the same thing, only he has to stand on the table to reach him.

“All of Love,” the two subclass kids say.

All of Love shakes his head. “There… there _were_ more.” He swallows. “Something happened. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“That’s totally fine.” Mahiru says, glancing at the kids again. “I understand.”

“My Eve will be here soon,” Hugh says. “He’s still working right now. He gets off at five.”

Five. That’s around dinner time.

Dinner.

“I have to get to Demy’s at seven,” Mahiru tells them. “I have plans with one of my friends.”

“Don't worry. I can get you there on time.” Hugh assures him.

“Until then,” All of Love says, “why don’t you tell us, Shirota Mahiru, how did you end up becoming my brother’s Eve?”

That’s an interesting story. One that Mahiru has had to tell several times now.

“It started when I saw a stray cat,” Mahiru says. “At least, what I thought was a stray cat.”

* * *

 

 _Mikuni is alive…_ Misono still can’t believe it. Even as he walks down the street, the thought of seeing his brother again is enough to make his heart pound. _I thought for sure that Servamp killed him._

That alleyway, that same one that he first saw Shirota Mahiru in. That’s the one that Mikuni supposedly had been in. Hopefully he’s still there, or at least nearby.

Everyone he walks by doesn't seem to pay him any mind. They’re all human, every last one. Blue eyes, green eyes, gray eyes, blue eyes, brown eyes, blue eyes… Misono takes note of each one’s eye color. So far, no red. Just the typical eye colors with a strange one mixed in every now and again, like purple or gray.

Blue, brown, brown, brown, brown, blue, green, blue, blue, green, brown, red…

Red…

Wait a second.

That kid with green hair. He has red eyes.

Misono pretends not to notice. He keeps walking, but the second he gets the chance, he turns around and follows him. That boy with green hair. He’s dressed normal enough; white and green sweatshirt, and white jeans with sneakers. Nothing out of the ordinary. He has headphones around his neck, and his hands stuffed in the pockets of his jeans. He doesn't look out of place at all.

Except for his red eyes, and fangs. His mouth isn’t open, but Misono is certain that there are fangs hidden behind those lips.

The Alicein boy checks his gun. It’s loaded, it’s ready to go. He has holy water, too, in case things get out of hand. He takes a breath, continuing to follow this boy down the bright, sunlit street.

Wait.

Sunlight. If this kid is a Servamp, he would be in his animal form. If he’s a subclass, he would be turning into dust right now. If he’s a Vampire at all, the sunlight would be doing something to him. So why isn’t it?

Something doesn’t add up, and Misono hates it when things don't add up.

The sun disappears behind a cloud. The boy doesn’t seem affected one way or another. Misono continues after him, wondering where he’s going and why he’s going there. At long last, the boy enters a building, and Misono follows him inside.

It’s literally just a clothing store. Misono hides behind a nearby rack, pretending he’s looking at the jackets hanging on it. He glances up every few seconds, trying to see what that Vampire is looking for.

He’s looking at wristbands, which strikes Misono as odd, since the Vampire himself isn’t wearing any. The Alicein boy is seriously questioning what he’s doing. Maybe if he walks over, he can attempt to strike up a conversation.

Misono attempts to casually walk over as if he isn’t going to interrogate a Vampire. He, too, picks up one of the wristbands. “You’re looking for some of these, too, huh?” Misono says more awkwardly than he wanted to.

“Uh, yeah.” The Vampire looks at him, and instantly seems almost wary. He steps sideways, and keeps looking at it like it isn’t right somehow. “Gah, I can’t remember.”

“Can’t remember what?” Misono asks.

“I doubt you’re gonna be much help unless you know Shirota Mahiru.”

Misono blinks. _Shirota._ Why does this Vampire know Shirota Mahiru? “I do know him, actually.”

The Vampire seems surprised as well. “You do?”

“Yeah, I met him yesterday, actually.” Misono stares at the wristbands. “He seems like a good person.”

“He is.” The Vampire starts speaking with such fondness that it makes Misono almost nervous. “He’s a really nice guy. Fun, too, once you get to know him. He can seem pretty boring at first, but that’s just ‘cuz he’s a simple guy.” The Vampire’s eyes widen. “Not, like, simple-minded. That’s not what I mean. He’s… I don’t wanna say ‘easy’, ‘cuz that’s not what I mean, but he’s… I can’t think of the word, hang on.” The Vampire stares off into space for a bit. “He’s easy to understand, like… not ‘obvious’, but… what’s the word, seriously?”

“Straightforward?”

“YEAH!” The Vampire shows clear signs of relief. “He’s straightforward. He doesn’t lie, he doesn’t embellish things, he says what he means and means what he says. He’s easy to be friends with, which is probably why we’ve been best friends since our first year of middle school.”

He says that like he’s bragging. “So, do you need my help with something?”

“Oh, yeah!” The Vampire holds up two wristbands. “I can’t remember… he used to have a set of these at some point, and he mentioned wanting new ones, so… here I am.” He laughs kind of awkwardly. “I don't know what color to get him, though. I know he likes orange, but there aren’t any orange ones here.”

When that Vampire laughs, Misono sees his teeth. Sure enough, his incisors aren’t human teeth. Those are fangs. Misono gives him a strange look, and then looks at the collection of wristbands on the table and decides, “I would just get him black ones. If they’re black, he can wear them with anything.”

“That’s a good point.” He picks two of the black ones up and smiles. “Thanks. So, you met Mahiru yesterday, huh?”

“Yeah. We were walking down the street and happened to be walking beside each other.” Misono had been fabricating this lie for this exact purpose. “I noticed he had a cat.”

“The cat.” The Vampire snickers. “He was walking around with that thing on his shoulder this morning, too. I think he likes it.”

“I think he does, too. I asked him about it and he told me it was a stray he picked up.” Misono glances at the wristbands again. “After that we sort of became friends, I guess. I gave him my number in case he wanted to talk again.”

“Knowing Mahiru, he’ll call you.” The Vampire holds out a hand. “My name’s Watanuki Sakuya, by the way.”

Misono hesitantly takes Sakuya’s hand. “I’m Alicein Misono.”

The Vampire’s entire body seems to tense up. “Alicein. Are you related to that billionaire by chance? The one that got murdered a few years ago?”

Murdered. So that’s what everyone thinks. His dad didn’t get murdered, not in Misono’s mind. No, his dad got slaughtered. Slaughtered by bloodthirsty beasts.

“He was my father,” Misono says, looking down at a spot on the ground.

“Oh… OH!” Sakuya’s eyes widen. He releases Misono’s hand, still staring at him with shock and sympathy. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

This Vampire seems to show a lot of emotion. It seems so humanoid, but Misono knows better than to fall for that. The emotions are clearly a front; the Vampire is only showing emotions to appear more human. It’s tone of voice, it’s mannerisms, all of it has to be an act. Vampires are known for being manipulative. They’re pathological liars; they can fool just about anyone, make anyone think that they’re human, or that they’re compassionate, or that they won’t hurt everyone in their immediate vicinity.

“It’s fine.” Misono glances at the wristbands in Sakuya’s hand. “So, why are you buying Shirota a gift? Is it his birthday?”

“No, it’s not. His birthday was a month ago. July seventh. These are just because.”

Misono raises an eyebrow. “You’re getting him a gift ‘just because’?”

Sakuya’s face starts turning red. “It’s not weird, okay!? Don’t make it weird! If girls can buy each other stuff just because, why can’t guys!?”

“I guess you have a point.” Misono looks at the jackets on the rack again. “It was nice meeting you, Watanuki. Tell Shirota I said hi.”

“I will. See you around?”

“Yeah, maybe.”

With that, Misono finally walks away from the Vampire. He heads back over to the jackets, and then looks over his shoulder. Sakuya is heading for the checkout line. Misono moves from rack to rack, following him at a safe enough distance that he hopefully won’t be noticed.

That Vampire has a strange fondness for Shirota Mahiru. It almost makes Misono worried for that human boy’s well-being. Sure, that creature is trying to pass it off as friendship. He’s trying to make that fondness seem like a normal human bond.

But Misono knows it isn’t.

That Vampire has formed an attachment to that human, but not because of something as innocent as platonic love. No, it’s a craving. Misono doesn’t doubt for a second that that Vampire is going to slaughter that boy and drain every last drop of blood from his body.

He better call Mahiru. He better warn him, before it’s too late.

He pulls out his phone and frantically clicks on his recent calls. There’s a number that isn’t in his phone yet. That one better be Shirota’s. If not, then there’s a problem.

He hits the call button and waits.

“Hello?” Mahiru answers.

“Shirota, it’s Misono.” Misono glances at the checkout line just in time to see that Vampire leave the store. He follows it out, still trying to focus on the conversation he’s attempting to have. “I have to warn you about something. There’s a Vampire I just met, one with a strange fondness for you. It seems to think you two are best friends.”

“Best friends?” Mahiru struggles to think of who it could be. Then, he recalls one of his friends, his best friend, asking him if he wants to meet for dinner that night. His best friend, with eyes that suddenly looked strangely red, and with incisors that looked almost like fangs.

“Yeah, best friends. His name is Watanuki Sakuya.”

That just confirms it. “I thought he looked like a Vampire.”

“Well, he is. I know it. The eyes and fangs, he has to be.” Misono takes a breath. “Though, it’s weird. He can walk through sunlight without it doing anything to him. He doesn’t turn into dust, he doesn’t shrivel up and die, he doesn’t switch to an animal form. It’s like sunlight can’t hurt him at all, which isn’t normal for a Vampire.”

“That is weird.” Sunlight, even the Servamps that Mahiru was just talking to said subclass die in sunlight. “Maybe it’s a coincidence? Maybe his eyes just look red and maybe his teeth just look really sharp, but he’s human.”

“I doubt it.” Misono continues following him. “I’m following him right now. He’s heading down the street. He just bought something for you.”

“He got me a gift?”

“Yeah. That’s how I got him talking about you.” Misono takes another breath. “I went up to him in the store and he mentioned that he was getting something for you. I said I knew you, and he blabbered on and on about you like he had some weird infatuation. He kept saying you were his best friend, he said it like five times.”

Mahiru laughs nervously. “That’s just Sakuya.”

“The look in his eyes. I was worried for your safety. He’s obsessed with you. I could tell from that little conversation alone.” Misono follows Sakuya around a corner and across a street, still not entirely sure where he’s going. “He’s a Vampire. That infatuation is him craving your blood. I would keep my guard up around him if I were you.”

The thought of that makes Mahiru feel almost sick to his stomach. “But Sakuya hasn’t hurt me.”

“Not yet. I’m sure he’s just waiting for the right moment to strike. He probably hasn’t been a Vampire for very long, either. These instincts must be new to him. He can’t tell them apart from human emotions.”

Mahiru feels his heart twist. “Sakuya wouldn't hurt me.”

“Look, Shirota. I know he's your friend and all, but you have to remember that Vampires can't control themselves. Sure, he's your friend for now, but he might not be for long.”

Mahiru can't accept this. His brain won't let him. “Okay, well… for now I'll pretend everything is fine. I have dinner plans with him tonight. He got a giftcard for Demmy’s.”

“Watch out. Make sure he doesn't try to get you anywhere alone. Stay in places with other people. And if anything happens, anything at all, call me.”

“Got it. Talk to you later Misono.”

“Talk to you later.”

They end the call. Misono looks up and sees that Sakuya is gone.

Another one got away. But this time, Misono isn't that mad. He knows that this Vampire won't go far.

Unlike the other ones.

They have to be in town. They just have to be. But the question is, where? Maybe if he wanders enough, he'll find them. Besides, it's not like he has anywhere to be.

He has all day to hunt these creatures. He better make the most of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know your reactions, especially to Mikuni. I love Mikuni so much. He had to show up at some point. I figured it's now or never. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! See you in the next one!


	6. Ill-Informed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mahiru hangs out with Sakuya, though his suspicion of his best friend makes it hard to focus on the fun they're supposed to be having.
> 
> Misono runs into that strange Vampire again, the one that claimed to have started this whole thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since this updated! Here, have an update! I hope you enjoy!

“Are you sure the Hunter won’t find you here?”

“I’m pretty sure nobody would come out here unless they knew this place existed.” Hugh rests on his Eve’s shoulders. “This place is pretty remote; it gives it a more outdoorsy-feeling, and better views, so it’s not exactly close to the city.”

“Yeah, but…” Mahiru thinks about Misono’s cold-blooded determination and sighs. “I’m sure he’ll be looking everywhere he can. Not to mention…” His mind wanders back to the strange man he saw, dressed like a cowboy. That man had had a gun, too, one that was an awful lot like Misono’s. Not to mention he shared a last name with the latter.

They were brothers, apparently. And they both despised Vampires.

“There’s another one,” Mahiru finally finishes. “Another Hunter.”

“Oh, right,” Hugh seems to have forgotten about that completely, until Mahiru brought it up again. “There was another one. I’m pretty sure he was Doubt Doubt’s Eve, for a while.”

“Seriously?” Kuro blinks tiredly. “Another one? That’s just great.”

“He turned on us, too?” All of Love glances back and forth, between everyone at once. “I thought Mikuni was our ally.”

“Apparently not anymore.” Hugh looks at Mahiru. “What did he say? The other Hunter?”

“He… well…” Mahiru finds that he’s having a hard time remembering. “He said something about… Vampires killing someone close to him. His father, and he thought they killed his brother, too, but Misono’s still alive. He said something about having to kill his Servamp.”

“No!” All of Love gasps and covers his mouth. 

Mahiru swallows. “That’s all I can really remember, besides him telling me that his name was Mikuni and that he’s Misono’s brother.”

“No…” All of Love looks at the other two Vampires. “Our brother. I knew it was too good to be true that all seven of us lived.”

“They got Doubt Doubt, too,” Hugh says, “a pretty powerful one. Those Hunters are worse than we thought.”

“How did he even know how to kill a Servamp?” Kuro stares. “Unless… he didn’t kill him. He might’ve just broken him.”

“That’s not any better!” All of Love stares at Kuro in shock and horror. “A broken Servamp is basically a dead one. You know that.”

“Except it’s not a dead one.” Kuro stares him right in the eyes, right through to his soul. “A broken Servamp is still alive, and there is a way to fix it. Granted, it’s way too much work to fix a broken Servamp, but it’s possible.”

“Besides, how would he have killed Doubt Doubt?” Hugh looks at his brothers. “The only thing that can kill a Servamp is another Servamp, so unless that Hunter has one of us on his side, it’s more likely that Doubt Doubt isn’t dead, just broken.”

“You say  _ just  _ broken like it makes everything alright. Even if he is  _ just  _ broken, there’s no way of knowing where he is.” All of Love takes a deep, distraught breath. “Is there anything else you know, Shirota Mahiru-kun?”

“That’s pretty much it.” Mahiru sighs. “I don’t know a lot about Vampires, to be fair. I just found out they exist yesterday.”

“Ill-informed,” Hugh says. “You can’t be a proper Eve if you're ill-informed. We need to educate you on Servamps and all they entail.”

“Don’t bother.” Kuro gives his brother a blank stare. “He won’t be my Eve for long. Our contract is temporary, and the last thing I want is a permanent one.”

“Oh, Sleepy Ash,” Hugh rolls his eyes. “You can’t have that attitude. We’re fighting a Hunter, and you’re the most powerful of us seven.”

“Exactly,” All of Love adds. “If this Hunter actually can kill a Servamp, we need all the power we can get. I don’t want any of us getting hurt again.”

“You all care way too much.” Kuro sways sideways, as if he’s thinking about falling over and falling asleep. He sways too far and does end up falling on his side. “Not right now, okay? Our contract doesn’t end until 12:19. We’ve got time.”

“Not with that Hunter running around, we don’t.” All of Love shakes his brother. “Sleepy Ash! Come on! Get up!”

“I don’t wanna!” Kuro whines.

“Kuro!” Mahiru gives him a hard shove. “Come on! I don’t want anyone getting hurt, either! I promised I would help you!”

“You promised nothing!” Kuro rolls over and stares at his Eve with big kitten eyes, despite being in his human form. “I never asked you to help me. And from what I can tell, your help is a lot more trouble than it’s worth.”

Mahiru sighs, and looks at the other human in the room. “Sendagaya, help me.”

What Tetsu ends up doing is getting up, walking over to Kuro, and yanking him to his feet.

“Ah!” Kuro swats at the air. “Humans! Get off me!”

“Tetsu won’t hurt you.” Hugh says. He then grins. “Not unless he has to.”

“You humans are so brutal.” Kuro is forced to stand, thanks to Tetsu grabbing the back of his shirt to hold him upright. “What do you want from me?”

“Don’t you want to help your brothers!?” Mahiru looks at the other Vampires. “You all could get hurt, or maybe even killed! Don’t you want to do something about it? 

“Why do you even care?” Kuro gives Mahiru a ‘tired of your shit’ stare.

“I’m stuck as your Eve until midnight, so I might as well do my part and help you all, since I’m bound by a contract to be your ally.” Mahiru stares at his wrist, as if he can still see the spiritual chain that binds them together. “So, Kuro is powerful, huh?”

“The most powerful of us seven.” All of Love smiles. “I’m, embarrassingly enough, not well-suited for combat. That’s probably why I actually got hit.”

“Don’t be so hard on yourself!” Hugh gives him a reassuring smile. “You’re my brother, and I wouldn’t be admitting that if I didn’t think you were good enough.”

“That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to anyone,” Kuro mumbles, “Pride.”

“That’s the most you’ve ever said in one sentence,” Hugh responds, “Sloth.”

All of Love stands there awkwardly, waiting for someone to say something to him. “I can’t join your little conversation if nobody talks to me.”

Hugh snickers. “That’s the least sexual thing you’ve ever said, Lust.”

All of Love giggles. “You’re probably right.”

Mahiru decides randomly to check his phone. Once he sees the time, he instantly flings himself forward to grab his jacket. “Crap! I gotta go! Which way is Demmy’s?”

Kuro lets out a loud groan. “That means I have to come with you! Curse the distance limit.”

He switches into his animal form, and Tetsu hands the cat over to Mahiru, who takes it and sticks it into his bag. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Tetsu responds.

“Demmy’s is, uh…” All of Love glances at the window, before remembering it’s boarded up. “Drat. I forgot. Sorry.”

“It’s fine!” Mahiru pulls out his phone. “I’ll GPS it!”

With that, he takes off out the door.

* * *

 

The streelamps are just starting to turn on, triggered by the sunlight disappearing over the horizon. The only glow coming from that big, flaming star in the center of the solar system is the dim, golden lighting that's reflecting off the clouds in the sky, turning them pink. In an alleyway, Misono is hiding, his back pressed against the wall, and his gun at the ready. If he looks around the corner, he can see a Vampire, standing right there, outside of Demmy's. It's the one he ran into in that clothing store, the one that claimed to be best friends with Mahiru.

It doesn't have to worry about the sunlight now. As if it needed to worry about it before. Sunlight apparently didn't hurt this one, which is strange. Sunlight has an effect on every Vampire, no matter how powerful. It’s one of the most well-known things about them. Even if you know next to nothing about Vampires, you know that they die in sunlight.

Or, in some works of fiction, you know that they _sparkle_ in sunlight.

The thought of Twilight makes Misono shudder. There are so many things that book got wrong about Vampires that it hurts. The only things that the author managed to get right are Vampires exist right under our noses in the modern world, they drink and crave blood, and they have cold skin.

The Vampire outside of Demmy's has all of that: cold skin, a craving for blood, only it also has a strange infatuation with Shirota Mahiru.

Its also overly excited. It must be. The way it’s smiling, the way it’s tapping its foot. Either that, or it might be due to the music it’s listening to. The Vampire has hot pink headphones over its ears, and seems to be enjoying whatever song is playing. It’s either excited about it’s time it will be spending with its favorite human, or it really likes that song.

Misono debates with himself on walking over and starting a conversation. Maybe he could get that Vampire to tell him more about its relationship with Mahiru. Perhaps that information could help Misono in his hunt. Either that, or it will help him understand that Vampire’s way of thinking a bit more. Either way, more information about Vampires and their strange infatuation with certain humans couldn’t be a bad thing. 

Unless that conversation just ends up being Misono listening to that Vampire drone on and on about Mahiru again. That had been the weirdest thing Misono had ever experienced. He’s heard Vampires attempt to apologize. He’s heard them snarling and demanding blood. He’s even heard them crying out in pain.

He’s never, in his sixteen years of life and Vampire Hunting, heard a Vampire talk that incessantly about its best friend like it was the only thing on its mind. 

Watanuki Sakuya. That’s the Vampire’s name, apparently, though it certainly doesn’t sound like the name of a Vampire. Then again, a Vampire can have any name, especially when it’s a subclass Vampire.

 

And this one has a cell phone, and is now apparently calling his “best friend” Shirota Mahiru.

“Pick up your phone,” the Vampire angrily whispers to itself. “Come on…" Apparently, Mahiru answers, because it's voice becomes louder and less anxious. "Mahiru! Where are you!? It’s almost seven.”

Misono can’t hear the other side of the conversation, but the Vampire seems to relax once it hears what Mahiru says. After a few minutes, the phone call ends, and the Vampire goes back to its music and waiting.

Should he go over and attempt to make conversation with it again? After thinking that he has nothing to lose, Misono decides to hide his weapon, step out of the alleyway, and pretend he had been walking down the street that entire time. 

“Hey, don't I know you?” Misono says.

The Vampire must have its music turned up really, really loud, because it doesn't hear him. This prompts Misono to walk right up to him and tap him on the shoulder, which makes the Vampire jump and hastily pull its headphones down around its neck.

“Oh, hey!” he says with a bright smile. “I know you.”

“Yeah,” Misono says, “we met in the clothing store earlier. What are you doing outside of Demmy’s?”

“Oh, I’m waiting for my friend.” Sakuya pauses. “I told you about him: Shirota Mahiru?”

“Yeah, you told me.” Misono sighs. “You talked about him a lot, actually. What’s your deal with him?”

“He’s my best friend?” Sakuya laughs nervously. “If you think I have a crush on him or something-”

“No, no, no. That’s not it.” Misono stares the Vampire straight in the eyes. There’s something strange about the way it’s looking at him. It’s anger, and offense, but there’s something else there, too. Something almost… scary. 

“That sure does sound like what you’re talking about.” The Vampire actually takes a step away from him. 

“It’s not. I’m just wondering why you talked about him that much. You said he was your best friend like five times.”

“Did it come off as weird or something?” The Vampire laughs nervously again, scratching at the back of its head. “That’s just how I am, if it seemed kinda weird.”

Misono doesn’t believe it for a second, but he decides not to interrogate it any further. There’s no point in making an enemy out of the Vampire, at least not yet. Once he decides it’s time to slay it, then there’s a problem, but right now, there’s no point in making it hate him. 

“Sorry if my question seemed rude,” Misono says. “It just seemed kind of weird to me. I don’t meet a lot of people who talk about their friends like that.”

“I don’t meet a lot of people, period.” Sakuya looks over his shoulder. “But yeah, I’m just, waiting for Mahiru.” The Vampire checks its phone and sighs. “Where is he? Seriously? The guy is never late for anything. I wonder what’s up.”

“He probably got caught up with something and lost track of time.” Misono leans against the wall, attempting to be casual. In reality, the pose is extremely awkward for him, and he ends up looking like a mannequin tilted on its side. “He seems like that kind of person.”

“Mahiru does do a lot. Everytime I try to talk to him, he’s always running some errand or fixing something up.” Sakuya leans against the wall, too, and it’s clearly more natural for him. He stuffs his hands in his pockets and glances over his shoulder again. “Why am I looking that way? Mahiru’s house is in the other direction.” He looks over Misono’s shoulder and sighs. “Nope. Still don’t see him. Where is he?”

_ Why is that Vampire looking the opposite way? Can it smell Mahiru or something?  _ Misono ponders this, furrowing his brow and attempting to see the Vampire’s logic.  _ Did Mahiru go the other way? Is that why it keeps glancing over its shoulder? Can it smell his trail?  _

“Uh…” Sakuya snaps Misono out of his thoughts. “Why are you making that face?”

“What face?” Misono pretends to be clueless, which embarrasses him to no end. He’s not clueless. He’s anything but that.

“This one.” Sakuya imitates it. “You look like you just saw something weird.”

“I didn’t.” Misono shakes his head. “I’m just thinking about something.”

“What’re you thinking about?”

“None of your business.” Misono crosses his arms. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“Alright… no need to be so snippy about it. I was just wondering.” Sakuya glances over Misono’s shoulder again. “Should I call him again? Seriously, where is he?”

“I’m sure he’ll be here soon.” Misono looks up, right into the Vampire’s red eyes. Whenever that creature talks, Misono can see its fangs. It’s sharp, dangerous fangs that could pierce someone’s flesh with little to no effort. Those are dangerous fangs, ones that can drain your body of every last drop of blood and leave you cold and dead on the pavement, with pale, ghostly, almost purplish flesh due to the lack of blood driving oxygen around. Paralyzed, light as a feather, stiff as a board, and cold as clay.

The thought nearly makes Misono shudder. That’s what those things had done to his father, to almost every servant in the Alicein estate. Anyone else unfortunate enough to fall victim to their attacks suffered the same fate.

Vampires are the deadliest creatures alive, capable of outsmarting humans, manipulating them, some going as far as to fight their way into that human’s mind and alter their memory. How Vampires can do that is beyond Misono’s understanding, but then again, so is their craving for blood. They aren’t supposed to be real; they’re supposed to be mythological, existing only in works of fiction. The fact that creatures exist that have powers that seem downright impossible has to be the most terrifying thing in the world.

That isn’t even the most terrifying part. The most terrifying part is that so many humans come into contact with Vampires every day, and they don’t even know it. They just assume those creatures are fake and let their guards down, believing that something so deadly and cruel is one of their own kind.

“Are you alright?” Sakuya stares down at Misono. 

Misono shakes his head. “I’m fine.”

“You sure? You looked like you just saw a ghost.”

“It’s nothing.” Misono blinks and shakes his head again. His eyes wander around Sakuya, desperate for something to say that would take that Vampire’s mind off him. “Hey, isn’t that Shirota?”

“Mahiru!?” Sakuya whirls around like a celebrity is behind him. “Mahiru! Over here!”

The Vampire starts frantically waving, trying to get his “friend’s” attention. Misono takes a breath, feeling at his side, making sure that his gun is still there. He’ll have to whip it out like a bat out of Hell if that Vampire decides to attack. 

And if that Vampire does attack, then Misono will lose a valuable asset to his plan: bait.

If one Vampire attacks someone, more will go after the same human. They’re surprisingly social creatures, especially the seven true Vampires, who refer to one another as siblings. In reality, as far as Misono is aware, they aren’t related at all. However, they rely on each other much in the same manner that siblings would. 

Then, there’s the matter of subclass, something that Misono doesn’t yet completely understand. All he knows is that subclass are lower Vampires created by one of the seven true ones, and they are more the traditional Vampire in the sense that they die in sunlight, can be slayed by a human, and live solely on blood. They also don’t form contracts, unlike their creators. Subclass also appear to be loyal to their creator, but whether that is obligatory or optional is something that Misono isn’t completely sure about.

“Oh, hey Misono,” Mahiru says upon seeing him. “I didn’t expect to run into you again.”

“Neither did I, but I’m glad I did,” Misono puts on a false friendly demeanor and smiles. “So, this is your friend, Watanuki Sakuya.”

“Yeah,” Mahiru’s smile is both adorable and bright. “I’m glad you two met. I’ve been wanting to introduce you to each other.”

“Let’s get inside,” Sakuya says, grabbing Mahiru’s wrist and dragging him closer. “You’re a bit late. I hope it’s not too crowded in there.”

Mahiru laughs. “I’m sure it’s fine. Misono, want to join us?”

“No!” Sakuya’s outburst causes both of them to look at him. “Uh, I mean… I was kinda hoping it’d be just the two of us.”

_ I wonder why?  _ Misono narrows his eyes suspiciously. Then, he realizes that his expression changed, and forces it to be friendly and casual again. “It’s fine. I have somewhere I have to be, anyway.”

“Oh, okay!” Mahiru meets his eyes. “I’ll see you around?”

“Yeah.” 

As Misono walks by, he slows when he passes Mahiru, whispering a quick, “If anything happens, call me.”

Mahiru looks over his shoulder as Misono walks away, as if it can confirm that he did hear what he thought he did. Unfortunately, it doesn’t confirm anything, and Sakuya ends up dragging Mahiru into the restaurant before Misono is even out of sight.

A while later and they’re sitting at a table with a giant pile of food in front of them. They’re laughing, talking, like normal friends should be. However, Mahiru’s sudden suspicion of Sakuya makes this casual visit anything but.

His eyes are red. That’s something that Mahiru didn’t actually notice until now. Sakuya’s eyes aren’t just a strange shade of auburn: they’re blood red, piercing red, and it’s a wonder that nobody questions them. Then again, Mahiru himself didn’t question them before he knew Vampires existed.

Sakuya also ordered a rare steak. Rare, rare. From what Mahiru can see, it’s still bloody. It’s like they just chopped it off the cattle and slapped it on a plate for him. And the way Sakuya is eating it shows little to no respect for anyone else in the restaurant; he’s tearing into the thing like he’s a wolf, or a lion, or something along those lines.

His teeth. Mahiru can’t help but notice his teeth every single time Sakuya smiles, or laughs, or talks, or takes a bite out of his steak. Those incisors are sharp, too sharp, and longer than they should have been. 

He’s a Vampire. Misono has to be right. His own best friend is a Vampire, and never even thought to tell him. Then again, would Mahiru have believed him before?

“Why is your bag moving?” Sakuya asks, noticing the moving lump in the bag next to Mahiru.

“Oh!” Mahiru looks in his bag, and then feigns surprise. “Kuro!? I thought I left you back at the apartment!”

A fuzzy black head pokes out of the bag. A pair of furry ears twitch, and suddenly there’s a tiny black kitten on the table. Sakuya covers his mouth, trying not to draw attention to it, lest they get kicked out for bringing an animal into the restaurant.

“Get back in the bag!” Mahiru whisper-shouts. “Kuro! Get back in there, now!”

The cat just looks at him and blinks tiredly. He then walks in a circle a few times, and curls up into a tiny black ball to sleep.

“Kuro!” Mahiru grabs the cat and stuffs it back in his bag. “Stay!”

Sakuya can’t hold in his laughter anymore. His head falls onto the table, and he starts slamming his hand down on it, laughing maniacally. “Oh my God, Mahiru.”

“I didn’t know he was in there!” Mahiru looks at the bag, then at Sakuya, then at the bag again. “He must’ve been asleep!”

“Didn’t you notice the extra weight?” Sakuya lifts his head up, still grinning, tears threatening to fall down his face from laughing so hard. 

“I just thought I had a lot to carry.” Mahiru laughs nervously and scratches the bag of his head. “Turns out I brought a cat with me.”

Mahiru starts fidgeting with an invisible pair of bands on his wrists. His hands cuffed around his wrists, twisting the nonexistent sweatbands. Sakuya watches him for a while before letting out an awkward chuckle.

“What?” Mahiru looks down at his hands. “Oh!” he releases his wrist and sighs. “I’m still in the habit of doing that.”

Sakuya reaches into his sweatshirt pocket and chuckles again. “Miss your wristbands?”

“Kind of.” Mahiru laughs. “I’ve been meaning to get myself a new pair, but I just haven’t had the time. I’m super busy right now.”

“When are you not busy?”

“Uh…” Mahiru smiles sheepishly, and blushes. “Never.”

“Well…” Sakuya glances down at the table, and then back at Mahiru. “You don’t have to worry about it anymore.”

Mahiru’s smile disappears, in favor of a curious stare. “What do you mean?”

“Uh… Uh, what do I mean?” Sakuya looks everywhere but at his friend’s eyes. “Uh… I mean… here!”

He rips his hands out of his pockets and holds them out in front of him, revealing a pair of wristbands resting in his palms. Mahiru blinks in surprise, and stares down at them.

“You…” Sakuya takes a breath, his cheeks turning pink, “I remember you complaining after you lost yours, and I kept seeing you grabbing at your wrists, so I just… went out and bought you some.”

“Oh, uh…” Mahiru takes them, and places them on his wrists. “Thanks, Sakuya.”

“Don’t mention it.” Sakuya withdraws his hands, and starts awkwardly smiling while staring at the wall. 

Mahiru stares down at the black and white wristbands and smiles. Sure, Sakuya’s a Vampire, but that doesn't make him any less of a friend, does it?

* * *

 

“Are you sure leaving is a good idea?” Hugh sounds almost worried about his sibling. “You still might not be completely healed.”

“I’ll be fine, Old Child. I can take care of myself.” All of Love smiles down at him. “Besides, I may be the weakest of us seven, but I’m twice as strong as any human.”

Hugh smirks. “That you are. But what about your subclass?”

“They’ll be alright, too. I’ll take good care of them.” All of Love bends down to wrap his arms around the shoulders of the two small children in front of him. “Worst case scenario, I’ll send them back here with you.”

“Bye, Hugh,” the two little kids wave at him.

“Goodbye, Yuri and Mary.” Hugh waves his hand dramatically, and then wraps his cape around his body as if it were a blanket. “If you ever need me, All of Love, don’t hesitate to contact me. I’m always here to help you.”

“I don’t doubt that, but like I said…” All of Love uses his fang to break his skin. A second later, and a scythe manifests itself out of thin air, leaning comfortably against his arm like it was made to be there. “I can take care of myself.”

Hugh’s eyes light up. “When did you figure out you could do that?”

“A little bit of blood, and I can do pretty much anything.” All of Love makes the scythe vanish. The break in his skin heals instantly after. “However, I doubt I could do that again without drinking more blood.”

“I’m sure you’ll find a source for that in your adventure.” Hugh waves again. “Farewell, brother.”

“Farewell.” All of Love, along with the little twins he calls his subclass, leave both the room and the inn, with not a single destination in mind. However, the thought of staying there any longer nearly drove the Servamp of Lust mad. He has to get out, he has to see more, do more, and even if there’s a dangerous Hunter on the loose, he doubts that anything terrible will happen if he runs into him.

* * *

 

Misono heads down the sidewalk, though he keeps glancing over his shoulder at the restaurant. It’s on the edge of town, right by an old academy that Misono would have gone to, had this Vampire thing not taken over his entire life. Not too far away is the long, winding road that leads to his house, if it could even be called that. 

So far, no Vampires. At least, as far as Misono can tell. That doesn’t stop him from paranoidly looking around for any. He knows for a fact that there’s one back in Demmy’s, hanging out with Shirota Mahiru. He knows there are at least four more in this town alone, though he isn’t completely sure where they are. He has to find them, fast, before they decide to hurt anyone else.

Especially the one that decided it would kill his father.

“I see you met my subclass.”

Misono tenses. He whirls around, face-to-face with the Vampire from before. The one that spoke of war, and terror, and the Alicein family. The one that claimed to be the one to start everything. The one that openly taunted him and laughed. That Vampire must think it’s really something.

“You again,” Misono growls, reaching for his gun.

“There’s no need for weapons.” The Vampire holds out its hands, revealing that it’s unarmed for the time being. It tilts its head, smiling amusedly at the sheer anger in Misono’s expressions. “I’m just here to talk.”

“I don’t wanna listen.” Misono pulls out his gun and aims, focusing his vision, his breathing, his movement, everything on this one kill. “Vampire.”

He pulls the trigger, and the Vampire suddenly vanishes from sight. Misono straightens up and whirls around, blocking the Vampire right before it could grab him the way it did the first time they met. He fired again, and again, and again, but every time he fired that Vampire would somehow manage to get out of the way, to the other side of him, so he would have to spin and waste even more time.

“Stop!” Misono shouts.

“Stop?” The Vampire’s voice mocks him from a place Misono can’t see. “You think I’ll listen to you, and stop moving, just so you can shoot me? You know those bullets will do no more than injure me.”

“Silver can harm any immortal creature.”

“You know nothing of Servamps.”

Misono fires again, listening for an outcry of pain, or something to indicate that his bullet made contact. He hears no such thing.

“But anyway,” the Vampire keeps talking, “I see you met my subclass, Watanuki Sakuya.”

Misono actually lowers his gun. “Watanuki is your subclass, huh?”

“Yes. I see you’re finally willing to listen to me.” The Vampire reveals itself, staring at Misono in a way that looks almost serene. Misono, however, knows it’s anything but. “Watanuki Sakuya is my subclass. He has been for several years now. That poor boy. His best friend, his own best friend, knows nothing about what he’s going through. Nothing at all. All because Sakuya lies to him about everything.”

“You think that matters to me?” Misono draws a sharp breath, his grip on the handle of his gun tightening. “At least now I know which Vampire Sakuya is loyal to. That subclass serves you, correct?”

The Vampire throws its head back and laughs. “You’re not as stupid as you look. However, you’re still clueless. A clueless little human with no leverage against us, yet he thinks he can kill us. That’s hilarious. Probably the most entertaining thing I’ve ever seen.”

“Watanuki has Mahiru wrapped around his finger.” Misono tries to control his pounding, rage-filled heart. “I can’t afford to lose Mahiru to a subclass when he’s such effective bait.”

The Vampire laughs again, loudly, maniacally, almost obnoxiously. “That’s hilarious. You act as though you don’t care about the humans you’re trying so hard to protect.”

“If Shirota got attacked by one of you, then more of you will go after him. It’s only logical, especially for creatures as dependant on each other as you are.”

“Dependant on each other?” The Vampire’s eyes widen in curiosity. “I’m certainly not dependant on my siblings. They don’t even know I exist.”

“Then who are you dependant on?” Misono narrows his eyes, keeping that Vampire right in his range of focus. “No Vampire is completely self-sufficient.”

“As if I would tell you that. The last thing I want is to give you any sort of leverage over me.” It grins. “Go ahead and kill my brothers. I couldn’t care less. But as far as I’m concerned, we’re still enemies.”

“The last thing I would want is for us to not be enemies, so good.” Misono raises his gun again, taking a deep breath. “You’re the reason my father’s dead. You’re the cause of all of my pain.”

It laughs, causing Misono’s heart to speed up in rage. “You can’t blame me for your father’s death I didn’t kill him. That was All of Love.”

_ All of Love. So that’s the one that killed my father. How ironic.  _ “Thanks for the info. I’ll be sure to use it.”

“Hah.” It moves strangely, almost as though it’s gliding as it paces. “Ask me anything you want. I’ll gladly tell you. However, you’ll have no way of knowing if anything I say is true.”

“I shouldn’t bother wasting my time asking a Vampire for information.” Misono feels his heart starting to pound even harder. “Leave or I will shoot.”

“Are you sure you don’t have any time to spare for me? After all, your little friend is rather busy, and you have no idea where any of the other Servamps are. I’m the only one you can see as of now. You might as well get all you can from me.”

_ What is this monster trying to do?  _ Misono draws a breath. “Which one attacked Shirota in the alleyway?”

“That was Sleepy Ash, the Servamp of Sloth. I wouldn’t say he attacked. It was out of fear for you humans. You’ve really planted a seed in our minds that you are all terrible, merciless creatures.” It chuckles. “And before you even ask, the small one you saw with All of Love is Old Child, the Servamp of Pride.”

“And you.” Misono narrows his eyes. “Which one are you?”

“Me?” the Vampire tilts its head back, staring sideways at Misono, a rather strange expression on its face. “I’m the eighth Servamp of Melancholy, the one they call Tsubaki.”

“Tsubaki, huh?” Misono scoffs. “A flower? That’s a pathetic name, especially for a Vampire.” 

“If you must know, my true name is Who is Coming.” It shows no sign of being offended in the slightest. Probably because it doesn't care. “But my name means nothing to you, so I don’t know why I even bothered telling you.” It straightens its head back up, and flashes a grin once again. “As far as you’re concerned, I’m nothing but a cold-blooded, heartless monster. Fine. If that’s what you think of me, then that’s what I’ll be. At least, when you’re around.”

It dashes closer, drawing a sword from seemingly nowhere. Misono dodges the attack and fires his gun, again and again. The Vampire dodges it every time, swinging its sword and laughing maniacally every time it slices the air. 

“Even as we’re doing this,” Tsubaki swings his sword again. Misono has to fall to the ground to avoid getting hit with it. “Even as we fight, my subclass is there, sitting in that restaurant, smelling the scent of his best friend’s blood. Do you think he’ll be able to resist it for much longer? After all, Vampires are bloodsucking monsters that follow their instincts.” 

Misono’s mind flashes back to the way that Sakuya talked about Mahiru. The thought alone makes him sick to his stomach, but he has more important things to worry about.

For example, the Vampire with a sword that he’s currently fighting.

As they fight, as Misono fires his gun again, he feels his strength starting to give out. Then, he pulls the trigger again.

His gun is out of bullets.

“Revolvers,” Tsubaki says in an almost teasing way, “they don’t jam. They don’t need cocked. However, they can only hold so many bullets. This isn’t an action movie where the gun has infinite ammunition.”

“I know that!” Misono draws a silver dagger from his side. “Guess I have to fight at close range. Works for me.”

“‘And me.” Tsubaki grins. “But like you asked.”

They resume their fight, Misono feeling his strength getting weaker and weaker as it goes on. That’s the problem when you fight with Vampires; your strength will most certainly fail. Vampires don’t have to worry about their lungs giving out, or their hearts exploding. All they care about is kill, drink, kill, drink, and they need not worry about their strength.

Humans, however…

The last thing Misono wants to do is surrender. He refuses to give in, especially to a merciless Vampire that’s certain to kill him. He can’t fight for much longer, though. He can’t hold out forever. Something has to give. 

Suddenly, something does give.

The redness that came with Tsubaki’s arrival suddenly vanishes. Misono feels almost as if his feet left the ground, and he ends up in on his back in an alleyway, with not a single person in sight. He stands up and looks around, his dagger at the ready, but there doesn’t seem to be anything there except for him, a few dumpsters, and a feral cat that frantically dove behind a trash can the moment he moved.

_ What the Hell?  _ Misono spins in a circle, desperate for some clue as to what happened.

Then, he sees it.

Down the alleyway, attempting to make some kind of escape, is someone with blond hair, wearing a long, black trench coat. They glance over their shoulder at him, and the moment Misono sees their face, he knows.

“YOU AGAIN!” He snarls.

The Vampire transforms, switching from a tall human to a butterfly, which flutters down the alleyway and over a tall fence that Misono doubts he’ll be able to climb. 

That doesn’t stop him from trying, though, and wishing he had a few bullets left to spare.

He chases it, managing to not lose sight of it this time. He draws a spray bottle from his side, one full of holy water. Despite being exhausted from the battle with Tsubaki, the adrenaline rush he felt when he saw that Vampire again overrode every nerve in his body telling him that he needs rest. He ran faster, jumped higher, and caught up with the butterfly that called itself a Vampire before he even knew it.

A spray of holy water later, and it’s down.

The Vampire switches back to its human form, curled up on the ground, writhing and crying out in agony. Misono stands over it, his dagger ready to slice it to pieces.

“You again,” he growls. “All of Love. What do you want this time?”

It’s trembling. He can see the way it shakes in fear and pain. Good. That’s the way a Vampire should feel in the presence of a human. 

“Well?” Misono narrows his eyes. “I’m giving you a chance to speak, so use it. Or else I’ll just kill you right now, and that’ll be the end of it.”

“You can’t… you can’t kill me…” The Vampire moves its hands, which had been covering its face. It’s blaring red eyes look even redder, its face contorted in pain, its body shaking. “A human… can’t kill a Servamp…”

Misono feels doubt slice through his chest, but he tries to ignore it. “Of course I can. I know how to. I’ve been training for this my whole life.”

“You don’t understand.” The Vampire nearly sits up. 

Misono thrusts his dagger forward. “Stay down!”

It obeys, most likely out of sheer terror. “You don't understand.” It holds its hands defensively in front of its chest. “Humans can’t kill Servamps. Nothing can. We’re immortal, made to live through anything that could kill any normal creature. The most you could do is force me into my other form.”

“And I would crush that butterfly right underneath my foot.” Misono clenches his teeth. “I sure as Hell can kill you.”

“Crushing that butterfly underneath your foot wouldn’t do anything to it. The moment you moved your foot, I would fly away. The only thing that can kill a Servamp is another Servamp.” The Vampire narrows its eyes. “And unless you have access to one, there is nothing you can do except injure us, only for us to come right back again.”

“You expect me to believe a Vampire?”

“I’m telling you the truth!” All of Love raises its arms even further up, protecting its face. “Please, what reason would I have for lying?”

“To save your life, by making me think there’s no way to kill you.” 

“Please… I don't want to hurt you, Misono-”

“Don't you dare use my name, you bloodsucking monster.” Misono narrows his eyes, his dagger moving even closer to the Vampire, ready to carve it up like a jack o’ lantern. 

The Vampire opens its mouth, as if to speak. Then, it draws a scythe from its bleeding skin.

It slashes the scythe right at Misono, who falls over rather ungracefully in his attempt to avoid it. From his spot on the ground, Misono can see the tears streaming down the creature’s face as it holds that scythe in the air.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” It takes a breath, one that seems to shake. “I’m not that great at fighting. I would rather resolve this peacefully, if possible.”

“Peaceful? A Vampire? Don’t make me laugh.” Misono stands up, his dagger clenched tightly in his fist. “You can’t trick me, All of Love. I know what you did to my family.”

“It was the biggest mistake I’ve ever made.”

Misono feels a pain in his chest. He stares into that Vampire’s eyes and sees such an intense look of regret that it hurts. Then, the sharp, stabbing agony resolves into a dull ache, and he narrows his eyes. 

“Of course it was a mistake! A Vampire like you should know better than to mess with the Alicein family.” He gets himself into a fighting stance. “Say goodbye, you demon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “Tsubaki, huh?” Misono scoffs. “A flower? That’s a pathetic name, especially for a Vampire.” -- Says the Eve that named his 'Snowlily'. 
> 
> Also, speaking of Misono and Snowlily, they're going to fight next chapter. Well, "fight". I'm not sure how much of a fight this will turn out to be. I'll have to get writing it to see what happens. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! See you in the next one!


	7. Lying.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All of Love and Misono fight.  
> Sakuya and Mahiru's little get-together comes to an abrupt end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's been so long! I just kind of lost interest in this fic for a while, but I'm back now! I hope you enjoy it!

“I really don’t want to do this.”

Suddenly, the Vampire disappears in a cloud of pink mist.

“What!?” Misono whirls around, suddenly surrounded by the fog. There’s no sign of the Vampire anywhere. _Running away, huh? What a coward._ Despite that being the main thought in his head, the human boy still refuses to let his guard down. He holds the dagger tightly in his fist, his stance firm.

Then, pain.

Sharp pain right in his neck. Misono slashes the knife behind him, the Vampire’s fangs removing themselves from his flesh. With a final twirl, Misono is finally face to face with it again.

The Vampire is visible now, and holding what is very clearly a scythe.

“I’m sorry,” it says, regret making its eyes twinkle. “I’m so, so sorry.”

With that, it slashes its scythe in Misono’s direction. The human barely has time to duck as that scythe flies right over his head, barely missing. Misono reaches up, just to feel his cowlick and make sure the Vampire didn’t get close enough to cut it off.

Before he can even stand, the Vampire slashes again. Misono dives out of the way, rolling a few more meters than he intended before standing up and facing his opponent properly.

“I’d love to talk this out,” the Vampire says. “In fact, I’d much rather settle this with words.”

“As if you would even tell me the truth,” Misono growls his reply. “Vampires are notorious liars.”

“What reason would I have for lying to you?” The Vampire lowers its weapon. “You’re going to wear yourself out, fighting me.”

“I would rather choose that over surrendering.”

The Vampire looks somewhat annoyed, but the annoyance is nothing compared to the pain and dread on his face. “I’d rather not hurt you.”

Misono bares his teeth and glares. “You’re a pathetic excuse for a Vampire, but even so you managed to kill my entire family.”

“I could kill you, too, just as effortlessly.” It draws a breath. “But I won’t. I can’t, not to someone so young, someone who doesn’t deserve it.”

“You won’t kill me? I find that hard to believe.” Misono stares down his target, gripping his knife even tighter. “Now enough talking!”

With that, he dives for the Vampire, forcing it to slash its scythe again. Just like that, the fight resumes.

* * *

 

Mahiru finally lifts his head up from laughing so hard.

“You alright?” Sakuya leans back against his seat. “It wasn’t that funny, dude.”

Mahiru laughs even harder at Sakuya’s deadpan expression. “It was, too!”

“Your cat jumped on the table and scared the waitress. It wasn’t that funny.” Despite being so blank about it, Mahiru could still see Sakuya’s eyes twinkling and the corners of his mouth twitching. He wanted to laugh, but for some reason, he wasn’t.

Once the kitchen door closes, however, Sakuya starts laughing just as hard as Mahiru had been. “I was waiting… I was waiting for her… for her to leave!” Sakuya slams his fist down on the table, cackling so loudly that the entire restaurant stares at him. “Your damn cat, seriously.”

“Kuro is a bit of a weird one.” Mahiru stares into the bag at the fuzzy black ball of Kuro. A second later and the cat is blinking up at him, its mouth stretching open in a wide kitty yawn. “But I’m glad I picked him up.”

"I'm glad you picked him up, too. This has been a lot funnier with him." Sakuya grins, exposing his pointed teeth once again. 

_Even if he's a Vampire, he's still my friend._  Mahiru has to think that to himself over and over again every time Sakuya smiles, or stares at him with those red eyes, or accidentally brushes hands with him, revealing how cold his skin is.  _He gave me these._ Mahiru stares at the sweatbands around his wrists again and smiles.  _He's still Sakuya. He's still same old Sakuya, no matter what._

"We should probably leave," Mahiru says, glancing at the time on his phone. "It's nearly eight-"

"No!" Sakuya reaches out and grabs his hands. "There's so much left to talk about, and we haven't even had dessert yet. Come on."

"Well..."

Sakuya is giving him big puppy-dog eyes and pouting. Mahiru laughs. Even he can't say no to that face.

"Alright." Mahiru rolls his eyes. "We can get dessert."

"Yes!" Sakuya throws his hands in the air and falls back into his seat. He stares across the restaurant, making eye-contact with the waitress who had been unfortunate enough to be startled by Kuro jumping onto the table. Mahiru is honestly surprised they didn't kicked out from that, but then again, this is Demmy's. It's really, really hard to get kicked out of Demmy's.

* * *

 

“You… you demon…”

Misono’s grip gives out, his vision starting to spin. His knife falls to the ground, landing with a loud clatter. He whirls around again, unable to see the Vampire he was trying so hard to kill. All of Love might not fight well, but he sure can hide. There’s some sort of pink mist surrounding Misono, mist he can’t see through, mist that’s hiding the Vampire from his sight.

“You… demon…” Misono drops to his knees, gasping for air. He hasn’t felt this out of breath since he was really little, and couldn’t walk more than a few steps. “Show yourself!” he cries out, and then instantly starts coughing.

“Misono,” the soft, gentle voice of the Vampire sounds from behind him. A second later, and Misono feels a hand on his back, a hand that feels a lot like a human’s. However, he knows it isn’t. That hand belongs to a Vampire: a bloodsucking monster.

“Don’t say my name!” Misono swats the air behind him, hitting the Vampire’s hand off his back. “You don't deserve to speak the name of a human.”

All of Love draws a deep breath. “Let’s just talk, please. Let’s sort this out in a peaceful manner.”

“I don’t care about anything you have to say. You killed my family.”

“And it was a big mistake; it was the worst mistake I’ve ever made.” All of Love drops to his knees behind the human boy. “I never would have done that had I had another choice. All lives are valuable; I can’t bear the thought of taking a life away from anybody.”

“And yet you’re a bloodsucking monster that kills anyone it sees!” Misono whirls around, just to glare into the Vampire’s eyes. “You can’t trick me. I know what Vampires are like.”

“Please, listen to what I have to say. Listen to my side of the story.”

“Your side of the story will be all lies.”

All of Love falls silent, knowing that there’s nothing more he can do. Misono is still trying to catch his breath, never having fought that hard in his entire life.

“Need some help, little bro?”

All of Love gasps. He looks up at the fire escape of the building that they’re between, and his eyes widen.

Misono looks up, too, his eyes widening just as much as the Vampire’s. “Mikuni!”

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Mikuni jumps down from the fire escape, landing perfectly like a gymnast doing a dismount. He straightens up, looking over his shoulder at his brother. In his hand is a revolver, one almost identical to Misono’s. “Need some help?”

“I had him for a while,” Misono forces himself to stand, still gasping for breath. He stares at the Vampire. All of Love looks afraid, which makes Misono smirk.

“Well, now we got him cornered.” Mikuni smirks, too, his expression identical to his half-brother’s.

“Mikuni,” All of Love whispers. “Mikuni, you’re…”

“Silence!” Misono orders.

“Alive?” Mikuni, however, decides to converse with it. “Yeah, I lived. You thought Envy killed me or something?”

“I… I did think you were…” All of Love shakes his head. “So, how have you been?”

Misono raises an eyebrow, glancing between the Vampire and his brother. Mikuni looks calm, too calm, for being face-to-face with the cause of his father’s death. The Vampire also looks calmer. In fact, it’s smiling, talking to Mikuni like he’s an old friend.

“I’ve been alright.” Mikuni spins the barrel in his revolver, making sure each chamber is loaded. “Made friends, lost friends. Vampires, some of them are deadlier than others.”

“True,” All of Love blinks at him. “Have you met any others?”

“I’ve met many, actually. I’ve broken a few.” Mikuni narrows his eyes at him. “Can’t break you, though. You don’t have an Eve, do you?”

All of Love shakes his head. “No. I’ve been Eve-less for years.”

“Tragic. Though, that might be a good thing given the circumstances.” Mikuni scoffs. “If I were a Vampire, I’d get outta this town like a bat outta Hell, but that’s just me.”

“It’s not that simple.” All of Love glances at Misono. “I think the younger one is getting impatient.”

Misono growls. “Mikuni, why haven’t you killed it yet?”

“This one is harmless compared to some of the others.” Mikuni glances at his brother. “All of Love, seventh Servamp, he’s actually the weakest.”

“He killed everyone,” Misono sounds like he’s nearly begging. “He killed dad. You thought he killed me.”

“He’s weak. He won’t hurt anyone if he doesn’t have to. The Vampire lacks resolve.” Mikuni leans closer to his brother, lowering his voice to a whisper. “Get his guard down. Make him like you. Form a contract. _Break him_. That’s how I do it. Once they’re broken, they lose their powers. They heal slowly, about a slow as a human. I did it to Envy. You can do it to Lust.”

Misono listens to every word his brother says. Mikuni. He had always seemed so cool to Misono. The older one, better at everything, stronger, healthier, smarter. As jealous as Misono is of him now, when he was little, Mikuni was everything that Misono wanted to be.

And for a long time, Misono thought he was dead, killed as a traitor by the very Vampire he fell victim to.

“Alright, fine.” Misono glares at All of Love. “Tell me, _Vampire,_ what’s your side of the story?”

All of Love gasps, his eyes widening innocently. Misono couldn’t help but admit that there is something sweet about this Vampire, even if it’s just a front. The Vampire swallows, and breathes deeply, as if it’s trying to find its words.

“I have a large subclass,” it begins. “Well, _had_. We got thrown out of our old home, the one we were living in before. My… my subclass, they were all orphaned children that starved or froze or died in some other tragic way. I couldn’t just force them out on the streets again, the way they were living before. I needed somewhere to house them.” All of Love swallows again. “Your manor, it’s large. I thought, perhaps, I could sneak in there and stay there for a day or two, just until I found another place to house my subclass. This… this was a huge mistake. The worst mistake I ever made.” The Vampire shuts its eyes, tears falling down its cheeks. Misono blinks. A Vampire? Crying? “We were caught. Caught by your father. He alerted the servants. I decided not to run, and I told my subclass to fight back.” It falls to its knees. “I shouldn’t have done that. I should’ve fled, but I didn’t. We fought, and there was so much bloodshed…” It draws a sharp breath, a heavy breath, one that sounds like it’s suffocating. “I entered that house with over eighty subclass. I left… I left with…” It draws another agonized breath. “I left with two.”

“Damn…” Misono actually lowers his weapon.

“It’s my own fault. It’s all my fault. All of those children… I lost them. All of them.” He lifts his head up again, staring at Misono. “Your father was one that I never meant to kill. I knew you were there; a child, one that would be left completely alone. But I didn’t have a choice. It was my subclass, or him, and ultimately, my subclass mattered more to me.”

“Would you have killed me?” Misono questions.

“No!” All of Love stands up now, staring at the boy in front of him. Maybe it’s the fact that he’s a Vampire, or maybe it’s that expression on Misono’s face, but for some reason he looks just as old now as he did back then. “I would never hurt a child. I wouldn’t lay a hand on you if my life depended on it. I never wanted to fight you; I don’t like fighting.”

A Vampire… no, All of Love. Not cold-blooded, doesn’t like killing, sacrificed everything for his subclass. Misono shakes his head.

“Do it,” Mikuni whispers. “Form a contract. Weaken him. Gain his trust.”

“Will he even want to?” Misono whispers back.

“Just try it.”

After a moment, Misono drops his gun. It falls to the ground with a loud clatter. All of Love stares at it, and then up at the boy in front of him.

“You said you’ve been Eve-less for years,” Misono says. He reaches into his pocket, feeling the ticking pocketwatch that his father gave him. “Do you want an Eve?”

“Yes.” There isn’t even a moment’s hesitation. “I do.”

Misono shuts his eyes. _I have to name it. Damn it; I suck at naming things._ He takes a breath, and holds up the pocketwatch. _Name, name… think, Misono! Think!_ He opens his eyes and looks at the Vampire, who looks shocked at the prospect of this boy becoming his Eve.

“No, you don’t have to do this,” All of Love says, voice light and airy. “You don’t have do this… Didn’t I hurt you? I… I’m the reason that your father is dead.”

“That doesn’t matter now. Besides, if you are my Servamp,” Misono narrows his eyes, “you obey my orders and you’re under my control. That’s the only revenge I need.”

The Vampire gasps, and then shakes his head. “Misono…”

“So that’s what you are now. You’re my Servamp, and your name is…” _Shit! Think of a name, Misono! Why are you so bad at this!?_ “Uh…” Misono stares at him again. His skin, pale like snow. His shirt is about the color of a flower. His earrings look like flower petals. He’s pretty, which is a weird thing to think, but it’s the truth. This Vampire is pretty.

Skin, pale like snow. Snow… Snow… something. Snow on its own just doesn’t work. Think, his earrings look like flower petals. What kind of flower? What kind of flower is pink like that? What kind of flower… snow… snow… what kind of flower blooms in the snow? What kind of flower does that?

“Your name…” Misono says again. He takes a deep breath. “Your name is Snowlily.”

As if on command, the Vampire drops to a knee and bows his head. “And you are my master, my Eve. Alicein Misono.”

At that moment, a chain of sorts appears. One end is cuffed around Misono’s wrist, the other is attached to the back of the Vampire’s neck. After only a moment, it vanishes from sight. The Vampire stands up, and takes the pocketwatch out of Misono’s hand. Apparently not knowing that it goes in your pocket, the Vampire loops it around his neck.

“Now, there’s one more thing we need to do,” Snowlily says. “To make the contract permanent, I have to drink your blood.”

Misono shuts his eyes, and tilts his head, exposing his neck. “Alright. Do it.”

The Vampire walks up behind him, and a second later, Misono feels sharp pain in his neck for the second time that night. He lets out a scream, but the pain is over a second after it began. The chain appears once more: brighter, stronger than before.

“Now,” Snowlily takes a breath, “now, the contract has been sealed.”

* * *

 

By the time they’re leaving, it’s nearly midnight already, and the restaurant had to kick them out just to get them to leave. So yes, it is possible to get kicked out of Demmy's, is what Mahiru had learned from that experience. But it doesn't matter. They've had enough fun that getting thrown out of a restaurant is nothing to them. Though, it's hard to tell if they got kicked out because of the time, or if they got kicked out because Kuro decided to scare the waitress again.

“Your cat, man.” Sakuya is still laughing, even as they walk down the street together. “Seriously, where did you pick up a cat like that?”

“Kuro has a distinct personality, that’s for sure.” Mahiru shakes his head and laughs again. “Isn’t that true for every cat, though? Some are friendlier than others.”

“Some are friendlier.” Sakuya scoffs. “I swear that cat can read your mind.”

They continue down the street for a while, until Mahiru stops in front of an alleyway. “This is my shortcut.”

Sakuya makes a face at it. “You take a shortcut through the alley? Isn’t that a bit dangerous?”

“I mean, maybe, but this is where I picked up Kuro.” Mahiru reaches into his bag and holds up his tiny kitten. “How dangerous can it be if this little guy was in there?”

“Meow.” Kuro says halfheartedly.

Sakuya laughs. “He looks so done!”

Mahiru laughs and puts the cat back down in his bag, only for Kuro to jump up onto his shoulder instead. “Ah! Okay, he wants to be on my shoulder. That’s fine.”

Mahiru starts heading through the alley with Sakuya following behind him.  _He's a Vampire, he's a Vampire..._ Mahiru resists the urge to look behind him and see what Sakuya is doing. He has to trust Sakuya. Sakuya is his best friend after all.  _He is a Vampire, but he's my best friend! Nothing's changed! Nothing at all! So, why am I worried that he's going to hurt me?_

It's because of what Misono said. That has to be why Mahiru is so concerned all of a sudden. He's being paranoid. This is Sakuya, for crying out loud! Mahiru has known him for years! They've been best friends for years! There's no way Sakuya would just suddenly turn traitor on him. 

“Hey, Mahiru?” Sakuya says, his voice sounding completely different.

_What the hell?_ Mahiru blinks. Why does Sakuya sound so grim? They were having fun and laughing together just a minute ago. 

“What?” Mahiru turns around to face him, only to see that Sakuya isn’t even there.

“Tell me something.”

Mahiru whirls around the other way, Sakuya still out of his sight range. “Tell you what?”

“What’s up with that cat? Is it even a cat?”

“Of course, it’s a cat. What kind of question is that?”

“Are you sure it’s not a Vampire?”

_Does he know?_ “Sakuya, you aren’t making any sense.”

“Don’t lie to me, Mahiru.”

Suddenly, Mahiru is in a headlock with a knife to his throat. Kuro had taken the liberty of jumping off his shoulder and landing on the ground, switching to human form somewhere in that process.

“Mahiru!” Kuro shouts.

Mahiru grabs at Sakuya’s arm, struggling to get away. It’s no use. His friend, if that’s even his friend, is way too strong for him.

“I don’t like liars.” Sakuya whispers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cliffhanger! Hopefully I'll have the motivation to update this again sooner than, you know, four months from now.


	8. Emotions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People might not remember your face, or your voice, or anything you told them. But they will always remember the way you made them feel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's been so long, but here's an update! I forgot how intensely into it I get when I write a chapter for this. Lol. Hopefully this one is long enough that it makes up for the lack of updates for a month.

“Sakuya, what the hell!?”

Mahiru is so close to not being able to breathe. That knife is so close to his neck. Sakuya is holding him so tightly that it’s starting to suffocate him. Kuro is still there, crouched on the ground, not sure what to do.

“So that cat isn’t a cat.” Sakuya chuckles. “I knew you were lying to me. Why lie about something like that?”

“I thought… I thought…” Mahiru shuts his eyes. “I thought you wouldn’t believe me!”

“That’s no excuse!”

The knife gets even closer. Mahiru yelps as if it cut him, but thankfully it didn’t. Though, that yelp certainly does scare Kuro, who lets out a strange hissing sound that only a Vampire could make.

“You’re a subclass,” Kuro growls. “Who’s subclass are you?”

“Why does it matter!?” Sakuya snaps back at him. “I’m a Vampire, alright? That’s all you need to know! I’m a bloodthirsty Vampire who’s been craving Mahiru’s blood for the last year!”

“A year,” Mahiru breathes. “So that’s how long you’ve been a Vampire. Why didn’t I notice it before?”

“Because we haven’t actually known each other that long.” Sakuya’s voice shakes as if he’s about to cry. “We’ve only known each other for that year, Mahiru. That’s why you never noticed it before. Your memories, all of those moments we shared, every single time we were ever together…” Sakuya leans right against his shoulder and whispers into his ear. “That was all _fake_. Every last one.”

Fake?

No, those memories can’t be fake. Mahiru remembers it so clearly. He remembers going through town to get to Sakuya’s place, going east… or was it west? From the school… was it from the school? Maybe he always went from his apartment.

His apartment. He remembers Sakuya hanging out in his apartment, watching an anime with him… or was it a movie? Was it an anime movie? What show were they watching? Were they even watching TV? No, they were playing video games… no, that can’t be it. They were… what were they doing? Mahiru was in the kitchen, cooking something. What was he cooking? No, he wasn’t cooking. He was baking some desert, what desert was it? No, no, Sakuya had come over for dinner. He couldn’t have been making desert. Kuro was… no, he didn’t have Kuro back then. Sakuya…

Why can’t he remember anything? He used to be able to remember it so clearly, but now… now it’s like those memories are broken pieces that he's trying so hard to put back together.

“Do you get it now?” Sakuya says from behind him. “Don’t you understand? Those memories aren’t real. They only exist because I made them up. I wanted to get closer to you.”

“But… but Sakuya… you’re my best friend!” Mahiru feels his heart pounding harder after he says those words. Is Sakuya his best friend?

Or was Misono right in thinking that Sakuya is nothing but a bloodthirsty Vampire?

“Best friend? Best friend!?” Sakuya’s voice gets louder, to the point where he’s shouting right in Mahiru’s ear. “You still think we’re best friends after this!? How naive are you!? Are all humans like this!?”

Mahiru struggles to no avail. This Vampire is way too strong. There has to be something he can do, something that will get Sakuya away from him.

There has to be something.

Something, anything.

Mahiru starts feeling in his pockets. There must be something he can use, something that will help him get away.

He feels the spray can.

That’s it.

Mahiru yanks it out of his pocket and sprays it behind him.

The moment he hears Sakuya shriek, he regrets it. He feels the knife leave his neck, Sakuya’s grip give out, and a moment later his best friend is lying there on the ground, curled up into a ball, shrieking and writhing in agony.

“Oh my God!” Mahiru exclaims. “Sakuya! Sakuya, I’m-”

“FORGET IT!”

Sakuya’s on his feet again in less than a minute, the sclera of his eyes burning red, tears falling down his cheeks. He looks angry, sure: his eyes are narrow and his fists are clenched. But there’s another emotion in there, one that Mahiru can see from Sakuya’s trembling body, his shoulders rapidly rising and falling, the twinkle in his eyes.

He’s not afraid, but he’s certainly hurt.

“You’re afraid of me now, aren’t you?” Sakuya stares right into his eyes. “I know you are. That kid back there, I heard what he said. He told you that if anything happened, call him. He knew what I was; why the hell else would he be so interested in talking to me? All I ever do is go on and on about you. You’re all I can ever think about.”

Mahiru feels himself starting to tremble, too, but he desperately tries to hold it back. Besides, if Sakuya does attack again, he still has that can of holy water. He could spray his friend again if he had to. Though, it felt like something way worse than spraying him with water. It felt like he was spraying him with acid, poison, something that causes Sakuya immense pain.

The last thing Mahiru ever wanted to do was hurt his best friend, but there doesn't seem to be a choice.

He could call Misono. He could alert him, and the Vampire Hunter would come and rescue him. But at the same time, that's the last thing Mahiru wants to do. He knows for a fact Misono wouldn't settle for just wounding Sakuya. No, Misono would kill him, and the last thing Mahiru wants is to witness the murder of his best friend.

Best friend. Is Sakuya really his best friend?

“You are,” Sakuya goes on, making Mahiru feel even worse. “Don’t even try to hide it. I can see the way you’re shaking. I can see how tightly you’re clinging to that holy water. And I sure as hell can see your little Servamp over there ready to dive at me to protect you. You’re so scared of me you can’t even think of me as your best friend anymore.”

“Sakuya…” That’s the only thing Mahiru can say.

“I’m just a bloodthirsty Vampire, right? That’s all I am now. That’s all you’ll ever see me as.” Sakuya laughs, but this isn’t a funny laugh, or an evil laugh. No, this is a pained laugh, one that he’s trying to hide behind. “Don’t even try to see me as your friend again. Those memories are long gone. You don’t know anything about me, anything at all. I’ve been lying to you for so long that I’m not even close to the person you think I am.”

“Sakuya…” Why can’t Mahiru say anything else!? He has to say something else! He has to make Sakuya realize how stupid he’s being!

“All I wanted was your blood.” Sakuya steps closer. “That’s why I did all of this. Your blood smells so delicious. I would kill for it.” The Vampire then bares his fangs. “In fact, I think I will.”

Sakuya dives for him.

Mahiru barely has any time to react, but luckily he doesn’t has to.

Kuro attacks, diving at Sakuya, knocking him out of his path and away from his Eve. The Servamp and subclass wrestle on the floor, clawing at each other, attempting to bite one another. Kuro is clearly stronger, but he seems to not be trying as hard as he could be.

It’s almost as if he knows that Mahiru doesn't want him to kill Sakuya.

The Eve stands there, terrified, clueless about what to do. That fight is going to go on forever if Mahiru doesn't do something. Either that or it will definitely end in Sakuya's death.

He still has that holy water in his hands. Maybe he could use that.

Without thinking, he sprays it.

“STOP!” he orders.

The holy water doesn’t just target one. It hits both the Servamp and the subclass, and instantly both Kuro and Sakuya roll over, clutching their faces, shrieking and convulsing in pain.

“HOW STUPID ARE YOU!?” Kuro shouts.

Mahiru’s eyes widen. “Sorry! I, I wasn’t thinking!”

“No shit you weren’t thinking! You’re so stupid I could die!” Kuro rolls onto his stomach, groaning and moaning at the top of his lungs.

Sakuya is panting, grunting, screaming. He slowly rises to his feet once more, his eyes stinging and blaring red. There doesn't seem to be any way to keep Sakuya down. Every time Mahiru gets him with the holy water, he just gets right back up again. Sakuya is a lot tougher than he looks.

Maybe he’ll have to let Sakuya kill him. Maybe that’s the only way out of this.

“Sakuya, please,” Mahiru says, already out of breath despite not having done anything physically challenging. “Please, think about what you’re doing! Do you want the whole world to see you as a bloodsucking freak?”

“I AM A BLOODSUCKING FREAK!” Sakuya shouts at him, tears streaming down his face. Whether that’s from emotions or the holy water, Mahiru can’t tell. “That’s all I’ve ever been! Why can’t you see that!?”

“You’re my best friend, Sakuya!” Mahiru stares right into his eyes. “I don’t care that we only met a year ago! I don’t care that all of my memories with you are fake! I don’t care about any of that! You're my best friend and I still care about you!”

“You don’t know anything about me! I’m a complete stranger to you! The only truth I told you is that my name is Watanuki Sakuya!”

“That’s enough truth for me!” Mahiru throws the holy water aside and holds up his hands. “I’m done hurting you! I can’t do this anymore! You're my best friend!”

“Don’t say such an obvious lie!” Sakuya’s voice is breaking. Mahiru is getting close to tearing him down, he can feel it.

“It’s not a lie, Sakuya. I mean it.” Mahiru stares right at him, breathing heavily, trying to slow down his pounding heart. “I mean everything I’m saying to you. I might not know you as well as I think I do, but I’ve seen enough of you to know that you’re my best friend.”

“It’s all a front, Mahiru! It’s all lies! Everything I’ve ever told you is a lie!” Sakuya glares at him, trying to hide his pain behind rage. “Why are you so naive and stupid!?”

Mahiru then smiles. “Maybe I am naive.”

Sakuya blinks, staring at him in wonder. That smile… Sakuya has seen that smile so many times in the short amount of time he’s known Mahiru. He’s seen him do that smile when they first became friends, when they first hung out, every single time they’ve gone to each other’s houses or gone out to eat or even just wandered the hallways at school together, he’s seen that smile. Every single day Mahiru’s done it.

That friendly smile. That ‘I care about you’ smile.

That ‘I love you, Sakuya’ smile.

“Mahiru…” Sakuya’s voice breaks, and a moment later, he’s down on his knees, sobbing.

Mahiru opens his eyes and runs over, falling to his knees beside him. “Sakuya, don’t cry.”

“I can’t… I can’t…” Sakuya shakes his head. “I can’t hurt you… I just can’t… I don’t want to be like this… I never wanted to be like this… why didn’t I just… why didn’t…”

Mahiru starts rubbing his back. Kuro had long since recovered from the holy water, and is now sitting up, staring at Mahiru like he’s a complete idiot.

Maybe Mahiru is an idiot, but he doesn't care. He always knew deep down that Sakuya had been his friend, even if he was a Vampire. Maybe Misono can’t see it, but Mahiru can see the good in these creatures.

There’s even good in Sakuya, and Misono had called Mahiru to warn him about Sakuya. All it took was a bit of love, compassion, emotions, and Sakuya had decided that killing Mahiru simply wasn’t worth it.

Because Mahiru is still his friend. His best friend.

Best friend...

Best friend...

"No," Sakuya says.

Mahiru looks at him and blinks. "Huh?"

"No, we can't stay like this! You, you can't be my friend!"

Sakuya shoves Mahiru off and sprints out of the alleyway, still sobbing. Mahiru gets up and runs after him, crying out his name. Thanks to the distance limit Kuro is forced to follow.

“Sakuya!” Mahiru calls. “Sakuya! Wait! What is it!?”

Sakuya doesn’t answer. He turns a corner and runs into another alley, jumping over a fence. Mahiru scrambles over it as well, sprinting so fast that he can feel his heart hammering in his chest. There isn’t any other way to chase Sakuya, though. He’ll have to deal with the pain later. Besides, the adrenaline is more than enough fuel.

Where is Sakuya going!? Mahiru can’t lose track of him. He just can’t.

“VAMPIRE!”

Mahiru freezes. That voice…

That voice belongs to Misono.

“CRAP!” Mahiru shouts, running even faster. Had Sakuya ran into Misono? That has to be what happened.

Mahiru climbs up another fence, and sure enough, there’s Sakuya, having been cornered by Misono Alicein himself. Standing behind Misono is two people. One is Mikuni. However, is someone that Mahiru never expected to see so close to the Hunter.

“All of Love,” Kuro whispers, clinging to the fence beside his Eve, trying to avoid getting spotted.

“Misono,” All of Love says, “He’s just a subclass. Don’t-”

“Silence, Snowlily.”

Mahiru blinks. “Snowlily? What kind of name is that?”

“The kind that an Alicein would give a Vampire,” Kuro mutters. “And says you. You named me ‘kuro’ for crying out loud.”

“I like simple names!” Mahiru whisper-shouts. “Now stop talking!”

“What are you doing here?” Misono snaps. “You just ran in here like you wanted to die or something.”

“How was I supposed to know you were waiting for me?” Sakuya glares at him. “I know you know what I am. Why else would you be so interested in talking to me?”

“You’re not as dumb as you look. At least you can think about something other than Shirota Mahiru.” Misono growls. “You crave his blood.”

“Yeah, what of it?” Sakuya bares his fangs. 

"How long have you known him for? How long have you been craving him?"

Sakuya glares. "I've known him longer than you have, that's for sure. When did you guys meet, yesterday? And suddenly you'd give up your life to keep him safe? What's that about?"

"Simple - he got attacked by a Vampire. When one Vampire attacks, more are bound to come. I just want to use him as bait, and if he dies, that wouldn't be very helpful to me."

Sakuya glares. "That's what you think. Mahiru's a nice guy, isn't he? He's loyal and kind. You want to be his friend, don't you? You think you're already friends, don't you?"

"I just don't want any more humans to die from the hands of you bloodsucking freaks. I saw the way you were looking at him. I heard the way you were talking about him. I don't want you getting anywhere near him again."

"You sound like a jealous boyfriend or something." Sakuya bares his fangs. "I could easily kill you right now."

“Yeah, sure you could.” Misono holds out his arm. “Drink, Snowlily, and kill him.”

Mikuni smirks. “I think you’ve got this. I’ll leave you to it.”

With that, he runs off and disappears, leaving Misono and his Servamp alone with Sakuya. Mahiru watches him run away, his eyes narrowing. Mikuni. He has to have something to do with Misono’s contract, though Mahiru isn’t sure what. But Mahiru has no clue where Mikuni's going, and chasing him down right now would be a bad idea. Right now, there's more important things to worry about, and Mahiru decides to focus on those.

All of Love, who apparently is now called Snowlily, gasps. “M-Misono, I can’t-”

“You obey me! Do it!”

Snowlily falls quiet. “Yes, master.”

Without giving himself time to regret anything, Snowlily bites Misono’s arm. After taking in the blood, his scythe manifests itself once more that night.

Night.

What time is it?

“Kuro, how long until our contract breaks?” Mahiru whispers.

“Uh… what time is it?”

Mahiru quickly check his phone. “Twelve-fifteen. Three minutes until our contract is over.”

“Thank goodness. The last thing I want-”

At that moment, Sakuya screams as a scythe comes a bit too close, slicing some of his hair off. He barely has time to roll out of the way before Snowlily slashes at him again. Mahiru can barely see the Vampire's face, but in the short instances where Snowlily barely turns in his direction, he can see the pain and regret. 

He doesn't want to kill him, but he doesn't have a choice. He has to obey. There's nothing else to it.

Mahiru turns to his own Servamp. “Kuro, we have to save Sakuya!”

“We do?" Kuro sounds like he would rather do anything else. "Mahiru, do you really think you-"

Mahiru jumps over the fence, causing Kuro to let out a heavy sigh. Guess Mahiru does think he has what it takes.

“Misono!” Mahiru shouts.

Misono freezes. “Shirota!?” He looks over, staring in shock. “Shirota, get out of here! It's dangerous, especially for you!"

“No!” Mahiru glares at him. “You can’t hurt Sakuya! He’s my best friend!”

Misono’s shocked stare quickly turns into a glare. “I thought I told you already. This Vampire isn’t your friend. He never was your friend, and he never will be your friend. All he wants is your blood.”

“You don’t know anything about me and Sakuya! He’s not going to hurt me! He said so himself!”

“Vampires LIE, Mahiru! That’s all they ever do!” Misono glares. “I don’t have time for this! Snowlily, finish him off!”

“Oh no you don’t!” Mahiru holds out his arm, copying Misono’s gesture. “Kuro! Get down here and drink my blood! That’s an order!”

“Kuro!?” Misono exclaims.

As much as Kuro didn’t want to, it was an order. He dives down from the fence in cat form, sinking his kitten fangs into Mahiru’s forearm. A moment later and Kuro is in human form, the chain manifesting itself, bolder and brighter than before. Strange claw-like appendages form on Kuro’s hands and back, a weapon of sorts, like Snowlily’s scythe.

“You!” Misono growls at Mahiru. “You formed a contract! How long have I not known about this!?”

“Oh, you didn’t know for about twenty-four hours.” Mahiru glares. “And you’re one to talk! Snowlily!? You formed a contract with the Vampire you were trying to kill!”

“This contract is for my own personal gain! Why did you form yours!?”

“I formed mine by accident.” Mahiru narrows his eyes. “And now I’m having a hard time deciding who’s the bad guy here. Vampires, or _you_.”

“Tch!” Misono turns away. “Snowlily, give up on the subclass. We have another problem to worry about.”

Snowlily gratefully stops slashing his scythe at Sakuya, only to turn and be even more horrified by what he sees.

“Sleepy Ash!” He exclaims.

“All of Love,” Kuro says, his voice monotonous. “I really don’t like this.”

“Neither do I.” Snowlily turns and looks at Misono, wide-eyed. “Master, please, I’m begging you, please don’t make me-”

“Silence!” Misono orders, stunning his Servamp into being quiet. He glares at Mahiru. “You lied to me. You stopped me from killing that subclass. You seriously think he’s your best friend still!?” Misono takes a deep, painful breath. “You’re a Vampire Sympathizer, aren’t you?”

“Sympathizer!? You’re acting like Vampires are Nazi’s or something!” Mahiru stares at him. “Vampires aren’t all bad, Misono! You’re wrong if you think that-”

“That’s enough!” Misono snaps, tears starting to form in his eyes. “I trusted you! I should've known better. You lied to me to protect that... that  _monster._ " Misono clenches his teeth. 

"He's not a monster, Misono!” Mahiru snaps. “And Sakuya is my best friend! Have you ever seen a Vampire cry!? Look afraid!? Apologize!? Regret what they’ve done!? Have you ever seen a Vampire tearing himself apart between acting as his sin or worrying about his family!? Have you ever seen two Vampires hugging because they’re grateful that the other one is still alive!? These Vampires love each other! They care about each other like they’re family! And they care about humans, too! Sakuya is my best friend and I love him with my whole heart! And All of Love, sorry, Snowlily is over there looking like he would rather be doing anything else! He doesn't want to kill anyone! And he didn't even want to kill you! He told me that he-"

"He told you!? What do you mean he told you!?" Misono glares, his eyes stinging.

"Kuro and I went and found him after you shot him with a silver bullet. He was hurt, and Kuro was worried about his family." Mahiru takes a deep breath. "He loves his family. He loves his family the same way you loved yours. You should've seen him, crying and regretting what he had done. You act like they're cold and merciless but Misono, these Vampires have feelings. Real feelings. Dare I say  _human_ feelings."

“ENOUGH!” Misono cuts him off so harshly that Mahiru feels his heart jump. The small boy lowers his head, breathing so heavily that he sounds like he’s about to cry. “I’ve heard enough of you and your love for these bloodthirsty creatures. Clearly there's no way to get you to see the truth. You're so caught up in their lies.” He takes a final deep breath; it shakes so badly that Mahiru feels a pain in his chest. “Snowlily?”

The Servamp of Lust swallows hard. “Yes, master?”

Misono glares at Mahiru. Without giving himself a moment to lose, he quietly utters the words, “Kill him.”

Snowlily stares at Mahiru, and the unfortunate human can see the pain and regret in his eyes. “Yes, master.”

Before anyone can move, a strange voice breaks through the night, coming from seemingly nowhere, high above their heads:

“Well, this is an interesting development.”

Sakuya, who is still laying there on the ground, is finally able to move. “No way…”

“You again!” Misono growls, looking around in a fit of rage. “Show yourself!”

“You know what’s going on!?” Mahiru stares at him in shock. “Please, explain this to me!”

“I don’t like where this is going,” Kuro mutters, switching to his animal form in an effort to avoid whatever the hell is happening. “I’ll just hang out here.”

“Kuro!” Mahiru is about to shout at him, but quickly gives up when the strange voice speaks again.

“The boy who you thought was your ally, turns out to be your enemy. I told you he lied, but you didn’t believe me. It’s almost like you think humans can do no wrong, Misono Alicein.”

“Don’t you dare say my name!” Misono glares in every direction, hoping that the source of the voice sees his face at least once. “And I said show yourself!”

“I’d rather not. If I did, you’d certainly try to kill me. As fun as fighting you again sounds, something tells me this fight will turn out extremely boring.”

“What makes you think that, Vampire?”

“Vampire!?” Mahiru steps closer to Misono. “This is a Vampire we’re talking to!?”

“Obviously!” Misono glares at him. “What, did you think God was talking!?”

“I didn’t know what to think.” Mahiru follows Misono’s gaze, unable to see anything other than the building. “Who is he?”

“Tsubaki,” Misono growls. “Apparently he’s an eighth Servamp that nobody knows about.”

“An eighth Servamp?” Mahiru looks at the small black cat on his shoulder. “Have you ever heard of Tsubaki?”

“Nope. Can’t say I have.” Kuro blinks tiredly, and walks around on Mahiru’s shoulders like he’s trying to find the comfiest spot to lay down.

“What about you?” Mahiru stares at Snowlily. “Have you heard of him?”

“Never.” He shakes his head. “Miso - sorry, I mean Master.” He takes a breath. “What are we going to do?”

“I’m thinking.” Misono glares at the distance again. “You think this fight will be boring? Show yourself and let’s find out.”

“I don't’ just think it will be boring.”

At that moment, something appears. A strange figure, wearing a traditional kimono and odd wooden sandals, jumps down from the building above their heads, landing gracefully before them. He’s staring at Misono like he’s an old friend.

Sakuya’s eyes widen, though he doesn’t speak.

“I know it will be boring,” he says with a smile. “When was the last time you slept? You’re a human, and humans need sleep, don’t they? You’re probably exhausted. Your body is about to fail you right this very second.”

“I’m not exhausted.” But Misono knows he is. He can feel his heart working at least twice as hard just to keep him conscious, and his mind is starting to get cloudy. The last time he slept was on that sidewalk outside of the concert hall, and that had been some of the worst sleep of his entire life.

Mahiru, at the mere mention of sleep, suddenly feels like his legs are about to give out. Yeah, he slept after he made his contract, but now that it’s after midnight again, he feels the sense of exhaustion starting to overcome him.

“Big brother sloth, is that you?” Tsubaki stares at the black cat on Mahiru’s shoulder. “It’s been a while.”

“Wait, you do know him? But you said you didn’t!” Mahiru glares at Kuro.

“He’s lying. I have no clue who he is. I’ve never seen him before in my life.” Kuro crawls onto Mahiru’s back, behind his head.

“Ouch, that hurts.” Tsubaki laughs, and then instantly goes back to his previous demeanor and gives Misono a sideways stare. “You made a contract with the Vampire you thought you hated.”

“This contract is for my own personal gain.”

“Ouch.” He sways side to side, as if under some kind of trance. “That has to hurt, All of Love.”

Snowlily glares, and doesn’t say a word.

“Interesting…” His mouth goes up in an ear-to-ear grin. “So, little boy,” he looks at Misono. “You really think you can fight me, as exhausted as you are? Let’s see it then. The old war back again, Aliceins versus Vampires. Let’s see who comes out on top this time.”

“Misono, what are we going to do!?” Mahiru stares at him.

“We can’t do anything. We don’t have our weapons yet, and my gun is out of bullets.” Misono steps back. "If anything, our Servamps have to do the work."

“We don’t have our weapons yet, what does that mean?" 

“Tsubaki,” Sakuya talks before Misono can respond.

Tsubaki looks over his shoulder and smiles. “Sakuya, there you are. I was wondering where you had run off to.”

Mahiru blinks. “What?”

“You don’t know?” Misono glares at him. “Your little friend is his subclass. Tsubaki made him a Vampire. There’s a reason I told you he was dangerous.”

Mahiru struggles to remember. Subclass. All of Love had told him about subclass. They’re lower Vampires created by a Servamp, he knows that much. So Tsubaki is the one who made Sakuya a Vampire.

Subclass are also created when a dying human drinks a Servamp’s blood. He remembers Hugh saying that. Sakuya had to have been dying, but why? When did he become a Vampire? What killed him?

“Why would that mean he's dangerous?” Mahiru asks. “It just means Tsubaki created him, right? And that he’d been dying before.”

“You don’t know anything!” Misono really wishes he had a few bullets left in his revolver. “Subclass are eternally loyal to the Vampire that created them. They serve that Vampire for the rest of their lives. Even if they die they still serve their creator.”

Mahiru blinks and stares at Sakuya. His best friend, who happens to be a Vampire, is indirectly enslaved by this weirdo? That can’t be right. Tsubaki, the weird Vampire who wants to watch as Misono and Mahiru kill each other, who wants Misono dead, who said there’s an old war between Aliceins and Vampires, is his best friend’s… well, master?

“Are you alright?” Tsubaki asks this like he’s genuinely concerned about Sakuya’s well-being.

“I’m fine.” Sakuya stands up and joins Tsubaki, standing there in front of the Lust and Sloth pairs, staring blankly at them as if they don’t matter to him at all.

He even gives this deadpan stare to Mahiru, which causes Mahiru to feel a slight jolt in his heart the moment his eyes meet Sakuya’s.

“You shouldn’t run off like that,” Tsubaki stares at him. “I would’ve tore this town apart looking for you had I not seen you with Mahiru at Demmy’s earlier.”

Sakuya doesn’t say anything. He gives Tsubaki that same deadpan stare and then turns back to the others.

“I’ll let you make this decision for me, Sakuya,” Tsubaki smiles at the others, not even looking at his subclass. “Should I kill them right now, or should I let them be?”

Mahiru’s eyes widen as he stares at his best friend, hoping that his eyes are begging enough so that his mouth doesn’t have to. _Come on, Sakuya, please, please, I’m your best friend, don’t you dare tell him to kill us, come on, please…_

Misono glares at them. “You’ll let your Servant make the decision? What kind of master are you?”

“The good kind,” Sakuya responds without missing a beat.

“Tch!” Misono clenches his teeth. “Go ahead and tell him to kill us. We’ll take him out no problem. You don’t stand a chance.”

“Misono, don’t taunt him!” Mahiru stares in horror.

Sakuya doesn’t seem to respond to the taunts one way or another. He stares at Mahiru. “You’re a good guy,” he says. “You’re kind. You’re loyal. I really like you.”

“Uh…” Mahiru takes a breath. “Thanks, Sakuya.”

“I feel really bad for you. You were in the wrong place at the wrong time. You got caught up in this mess that I tried so hard to keep you out of.” Sakuya takes a breath. “I wish it could’ve gone the way I wanted it to, but life gets in the way of our plans.”

Mahiru blinks. “Sakuya… what are you saying?”

“I ran away. Why did you follow me?” Sakuya stares right at him. “When I ran out of the alley a few minutes ago, why did you have to follow me!? I didn’t want you to follow me!”

“How was I supposed to know that!?” Mahiru feels the twisting in his chest get worse. “I just thought you were running off because you were embarrassed about crying!”

“When have I ever been embarrassed about crying!?”

“EVERY SINGLE DAY DURING THE LAST SCHOOL YEAR!”

“That’s at school! I’m talking about when I’m alone with you! When have I ever been embarrassed about crying in front of you!?” Sakuya stops for a breath. “You shouldn’t have followed me, Mahiru. If you would’ve just let me run away this wouldn’t be happening. I’m sorry, but I can’t just let you keep running right into danger like this and the only way to prevent it from happening is to… is to…”

Tsubaki rests a hand on Sakuya’s shoulder. “What is it, Sakuya? Go on, tell me.”

Sakuya swallows, and looks up at Mahiru. “I can’t!” Sakuya growls through clenched teeth. “I just can’t!”

“You can’t what?” Tsubaki is talking like a mother, consoling a crying child.

“I can’t-!”

Just then, gunshots ring out from nowhere.

Misono ducks, dragging Mahiru to the ground with him. Snowlily and Kuro frantically switch forms and hide behind trash cans. Mahiru barely looks up in time to see Sakuya and Tsubaki seemingly vanish into thin air.

“What the hell!?” Mahiru shouts.

He hears a laugh come from behind them; a loud, hearty laugh followed by the sound of loud footsteps across the concrete.

“Looks like you don’t got it,” a familiar voice says, “huh, little bro?”

Misono clenches his teeth and his fists, feeling frustration fly through his every nerve.

“Mikuni,” he growls. “You didn’t go far, huh?”

“How could I? My little brother with a Servamp… I was worried about you.”

“You don’t have to worry about me.” Misono stands up, staring at Mikuni. “I’m fine. I’m older than I was back then. I’m stronger, too.”

Mikuni smiles. “I don’t doubt that, but I just can’t help myself. You’re my little brother.”

“Well, you shouldn’t.” Misono crosses his arms. “Look at me. It’s past midnight and I’m still wide awake-”

Misono falls over.

Snowlily flies out from his hiding place and switches forms. He just barely manages to catch his Eve in time before he hits the ground.

"Thank you, Mikuni," Snowlily says.

Mikuni meets his eyes and smiles. "Don't mention it. I have to protect him."

Mahiru scrambles to his feet and runs over, only to find that Misono isn’t dead.

“Did he just fall asleep?” Mahiru stares.

“Must’ve.” Mikuni cracks a smile. “Tired little thing, ain’t he? We should get him home. Are you alright, Shirota?”

“Me? I’m fine. I just need to get back to my apartment and crash for the night.” Mahiru stares up at him, his mind clouded, barely able to process anything that just happened.

“Alright. Goodnight.”

“Good… goodnight…”

Mikuni goes to walk away.

"Wait!" Mahiru stops him.

Mikuni turns back around, staring at him. "What is it?"

"I, it's just..." Mahiru takes a breath. "There's just so much I don't know, and I-"

"Trust me, Mahiru." Mikuni gives him a fond smile, almost as though Mikuni thinks of himself as Mahiru's brother, too. "You'll learn everything with time."

"Misono said something about a weapon, and-"

"Misono." Mikuni looks at his little brother, and then back at Mahiru. "He's way in over his head. He has no clue what he's in for, being an Eve. He thinks he can learn everything from reading dad's old journals, and grandpa's old journals, but those won't teach him how to... nevermind." He shakes his head, and then meets Mahiru's eyes. "As for the weapon thing, we'll help you with that, man. Don't worry about it."

"Are you sure? Misono seems to think that I betrayed him or something."

"Of course he does. Misono's just like that." Mikuni chuckles. "He thinks you betrayed him now, but give him until tomorrow and he'll come around again."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. He's done it to me at least a thousand times." Mikuni walks over and slams his hand down on Mahiru's shoulder so hard that he makes it sting. "You should get home, kid. It's really late and you can't fight Vampires when you're about to pass out from exhaustion."

Mahiru takes a deep breath, feeling his heart working a bit too hard to keep him conscious. "You're right. Goodnight, Mikuni."

"Goodnight."

Mahiru watches as Mikuni leaves, Snowlily behind him, carrying Misono in some unknown direction. Once they’re gone, Mahiru lets out a heavy breath. Will he even have the energy to walk all the way back to his apartment? Sleeping in the alley can’t be that bad…

No, what’s he thinking? Of course he has to get back home.

Kuro is still in cat form around here somewhere.

“Kuro?” Mahiru calls.

The small kitten jumps out from behind a trash can. Mahiru bends down and scoops him up into his arms. He leaves the alleyway and heads down the street, cradling the cat in his arms.

Cat. That’s funny, that Mahiru still thinks of Kuro as a cat. Sure, in this form he looks like a harmless little kitten, but he’s anything but.

This kitten was way more trouble than Mahiru thought he’d be. The most Mahiru had been worried about was being able to afford cat food and kitty litter.

Now he’s worried for his life, and it’s all thanks to this little guy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seriously feel so bad for Lily. I need to give him a huge payoff at the end for everything I'm putting him through. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! See you in the next one!


	9. Grief and Regret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is all Misono and Lily, with a little bit of Mikuni in the beginning. I hope you enjoy it!

“How am I going to… get inside?” Snowlily stares at the gate in front of the long, winding driveway leading up to the Alicein mansion. He hadn’t quite thought of it until he arrived, but there’s no way they will let a Vampire inside, even if that Vampire is carrying the sleeping form of Misono.

“Damn, I hadn’t thought of that.” Mikuni leans against the gate, zoning out. “They won’t let me in there, either.”

“They won’t?” Snowlily blinks, staring at Mikuni in wonder. “Why won’t they let you in? You’re an Alicein, aren’t you?”

“I was.” Mikuni scoffs. “The second I made a contract with that Vampire I was kicked out of the house and shunned out of the family, even though I’d only done it to protect everyone. The servants aren’t allowed to say my name.”

“Certainly that ban has been lifted. Your father is…”

“Dead? I know.” Mikuni stares at him. “You can say it. You can say the word ‘dead’, that’s what he is.”

“I know, it’s just… I don't particularly like the word.” Snowlily stares at Misono’s sleeping face and sighs. “We have to get him inside, somehow, and I think they’re more likely to let you in than me.”

“You’re probably right. Here, I got an idea.” Mikuni holds out his arms. “You give me Misono, and then switch to your animal form and hide in his shirt pocket or something. That way we can get both of you inside.”

There’s a moment of hesitation as Snowlily stares down at the small boy. Misono looks so peaceful. There isn’t even a sliver of rage in his expression, not a single ounce of tension in his body. Right now, he’s perfectly relaxed, and he looks exactly how he looked when he was a young child and he was asleep in his bed.

There has been a few instances where Snowlily had snuck into that manor before, just to scope out the place, make sure there would be enough room for him and his giant amount of subclass. Something about that mansion had seemed open and friendly at the time, even though the Aliceins were known in the community to hate Vampires. Every single one of the seven Servamps had tried to keep their youngest brother from doing anything reckless or stupid, and even the subclass of the area had warned that the Alicein servants often went out on hunting sprees, killing any Vampire they could find, regardless of age or anything else of the sort.

They had all tried to warn him. But he still hadn’t listened. Why did he think he stood a chance? He’s the weakest of the seven, the least suited for fighting, and his subclass is nothing but small children: he’s hardly the type of Vampire to march right into a battle and come out victorious.

He had been stupid, reckless, and he deserved to be shunned by his brothers for doing something so dumb. However, Old Child hadn’t judged him at all, every single Servamp had been grateful to see him alive. Sleepy Ash had gone through the trouble of finding him to make sure he was alright: hardly something Sleepy Ash would do under any normal circumstances.

But he had been worried. He had been worried about All of Love, just like All of Love had been worried about him. Stupid or not, reckless or not, he’s still their brother. Their little brother at that. All of the Servamps care about one another, especially given that they’re being hunted worse now than they had ever been hunted before.

And that hunter is asleep in Snowlily’s arms.

He had almost forgotten about that: Misono is the reason all of the Servamps are fearing for their lives and fearing for the lives of their subclass. It’s this little boy, this sleeping little boy, causing that much paranoia. How is that even possible? This boy looks completely harmless right now.

Right now. The moment he wakes up Snowlily feels like that fear is going to come back in full swing.

“Ahem,” Mikuni catches his attention, and curls his fingers. “I asked you to hand me him like five minutes ago.”

“Oh, sorry.” After a few more seconds of holding the boy right up against his chest, Snowlily finally hands Misono over, and switches forms.

A pink and black butterfly hovers around Mikuni’s head, flying in a few circles before landing on Misono’s chest and crawling into his shirt pocket to avoid being seen.

“You good in there?” Mikuni asks.

“Yes,” Snowlily answers.

“Good. I’ll get us in.”

Snowlily doesn’t bother paying attention to how Mikuni manages to get inside the gate. Besides, it doesn't matter to him. He can’t stop thinking about Misono, how someone that sweet and pure turned into a cold-blooded Vampire Hunter, so angry at the species that he refuses to listen to them, refuses to reason with them, and can’t see them as anything but bloodthirsty beasts. Even small children…

Children.

“Yuri, Mary!”

Mikuni jumps the moment Snowlily shouts. “Be quiet! What the hell are you talking about!?”

“Yuri, Mary, my subclass.” Snowlily crawls out of Misono’s pocket, hovering in the air just in front of Mikuni’s face.

Mikuni hadn’t even managed to open the gate yet. He’s still standing outside, only having walked up to the buzzer. He hadn’t even pushed the button yet.

“Your subclass?” Mikuni gives him a look.

“Yes, my subclass! I’m worried about them.”

“You’re worried about your subclass and you want to bring them to a house full of Vampire Hunters?”

Mikuni’s response makes Snowlily realize how stupid that sounds, but at the same time, his worry doesn't go away. “I at least want to know where they are.”

“You can find them tomorrow!” Mikuni turns back to the gate. “Now hide again! We need to get my little brother inside!”

Snowlily sighs and crawls back into his hiding place. With any luck, Yuri and Mary are perfectly fine and probably ran into one of Old Child’s subclass. Since Old Child did help Snowlily, chances are Old Child’s subclass would at least be willing to house Yuri and Mary for the night.

At least, Snowlily hopes that’s the case.

He hears a loud buzz as Mikuni hits the button on the gate. Mikuni has to hit it about fifteen times before he hears a voice come through the speaker.

“What are you doing here?” that’s the voice of one of the servants. Mikuni isn’t sure which.

“I found Misono asleep on the sidewalk,” Mikuni says. “I’m just bringing him home. I’ll drop him off and then leave, I swear.”

“You better be telling the truth. I know you’re prone to lying.”

“I’m not lying about this. I’m just bringing Misono home.”

After a few moments, the gate clicks and unlocks. Mikuni flings it open with a kick and starts walking up the driveway. Once he gets far enough, he runs into someone standing outside.

“Oh, young master,” the servant gratefully takes Misono out of Mikuni’s arms. “Thank heavens he’s alright. Thank you for bringing him back safely.”

“Don't mention it.” Mikuni tips his hat and half-bows. “Just doing my job as his older brother.”

“I’d invite you in for the night, but…”

“Yeah, I know, I know.” Mikuni gives her a wave. “I’d best be going now. If I ever catch Misono asleep on the sidewalk again, I’ll be sure to bring him back.”

“Thank you very much, Mikuni-sama.”

Mikuni blinks. “Uh, yeah, you’re welcome.”

With that, he leaves.

The servant carries Misono all the way to his bedroom, and even goes through the trouble of pulling off his shoes and socks and tucking him in for the night. After a quick inspection to make sure he isn’t injured, she leaves the room and turns the lights off.

Once he’s certain the room is empty, aside from Misono, Snowlily crawls out of his hiding place and switches forms, sitting on the edge of the mattress, staring down at his new Eve. He’s always wanted another Eve; it’s been so long since he’s last had one, and he always finds that being Eveless can be quite troublesome and lonely, especially for a Servamp like him. His name isn’t All of Love for nothing, after all.

However, being the Servamp of someone who despises Vampires, someone who makes it clear through his every action that he despises Vampires, is definitely going to be difficult. Misono thinks he knows everything about being an Eve, thinks he can learn by reading books. Being an Eve is a lot harder than just ordering around your Servamp. Being an Eve requires a lot of mental strength, a strong bond, two things that Misono clearly can’t possess.

Snowlily can’t help but reach out to stroke Misono’s hair. It’s soft. Clearly this rich boy has extremely expensive conditioner. He runs his fingers through it, and even plays with Misono’s cowlick a bit. He runs his hand over it, smoothing it down and then watching as it pops right back up, refusing to be in any position other than sticking up at an awkward angle. There’s something almost adorable about it, something that Snowlily finds endearing. This boy is precious, even if he’s a danger to the lives of Snowlily’s siblings.

He isn’t dangerous right now, though. He’s fast asleep, and he’s clearly not waking up any time soon. It’s hard to be dangerous when you’re asleep. If someone is dangerous in their sleep, then that person needs to be locked far away from society and never let free again, because sleeping is when humans are at their most peaceful.

Misono stirs, and Snowlily feels a moment of fear until Misono’s tiny little hand reaches up and grabs Snowlily’s. The Vampire cracks a smile, his gaze as soft as one’s gaze could get.

The door creaks open.

Snowlily gasps and switches forms as quickly as he can, fluttering behind the curtain and hiding. Luckily, he wasn’t spotted.

“He’s right there,” he hears a female voice say. “He was brought home by… by…”

“By who?” A male voice responds.

“M.. Mikuni-sama.”

“Mikuni-sama? You mean he’s still alive?”

“I know. It surprised me, too, but yes, it was Mikuni-sama. He’s alive, he’s well, and he's around. He brought Misono home after finding him asleep on the sidewalk.”

“No kidding…” he hears the male sigh. “I’m glad young master is alright and back home, and honestly, I’m glad Mikuni-sama’s doing well.”

“I am, too.” the female has a slight smile in her tone. “Dodo-san?”

“Yes?”

“You… you really care about Misono-sama, don't you?”

There’s an awkward pause. “He’s my master. I’m kind of responsible to take care of him.”

“Yes, but… you’re just his chauffeur, aren’t you?”

“Is the chauffeur not allowed to care about the person he’s serving?”

“Well, no, but… you just… you care more than a chauffeur is obligated to.”

There’s another awkward pause. “It’s late. I’m going to bed. Goodnight.”

“Oh! Uh… goodnight.”

After a moment, the door creaks shut again, and Snowlily flutters out from his hiding place. He switches forms again, reclaiming his spot on the edge of Misono’s mattress. He watches the boy sleep for a little while longer, wondering what he’s going to do when morning comes around. Is Misono going to tell the servants that he formed the contract? Would he be shunned and kicked out of the family like Mikuni was? For some reason, Snowlily highly doubts that, given the fact that Misono’s father is…

Is…

No longer around.

The servants wouldn’t dare do that to Misono, would they?

Snowlily narrows his eyes. Even if they do dare to do that to Misono, Snowlily would find somewhere for them to stay, and he would make sure Misono was at least comfortable, even if it isn’t quite the luxurious lifestyle he’s used to.

Snowlily feels a hand on his, and looks down to see that Misono had once again grabbed his hand in his sleep. The Vampire cracks a smile again. It’s adorable when Misono does little things like that in his sleep, but once Misono wakes up, that cuteness is going to disappear.

Why did Misono form that contract? Why did he suddenly decide that he should be the Eve of Lust? Is it the same reason that Mikuni decided to be Doubt Doubt’s Eve?

Doubt Doubt, the Servamp of Envy, and the third oldest of the brothers. Nobody has seen or heard from him in several years, which has led a lot of the Servamps to believe that he’s dead or broken. Snowlily remembers talking about it after Mahiru brought up that Mikuni said he killed his Servamp. Since humans can’t kill Servamps, most believe that he’s broken.

The only thing that could really kill a Servamp is being broken for an insanely long amount of time beyond repair, or another Servamp.

Another Servamp.

Is that why Misono…?

Snowlily’s heart twists. Misono can’t possibly expect him to kill his own siblings, can he? Even if Misono wants him to, there’s no way he…

Except he doesn’t have a choice if Misono orders him to do that.

Misono did almost make him kill a subclass not too long ago, and he did order him to kill Mahiru before Tsubaki showed up.

So Misono does expect him to do that. Misono does want him to kill his own brothers. That’s why Misono formed the contract.

That’s why he’s doing this.

That’s why he suddenly gave up his pocketwatch and spontaneously decided to call All of Love ‘Snowlily’.

That’s the reason for all of this.

He wants to use him as a weapon. He wants to make him kill his siblings.

How cruel can one little boy be?

Snowlily stares at the sleeping form of Misono. He looks so harmless, so peaceful, so small and loveable when he’s asleep, but when he’s awake, his eyes are cold and merciless and he's wielding a revolver, ready to slaughter any Vampire he sees. And now, now he’s wielding All of Love. Granted, he’s the weakest of the seven Servamps, but Misono is definitely a strong Eve. That determination might be enough to make Snowlily strong enough to kill one of the Servamps if he catches them by surprise or weakens them beforehand by shooting them with a silver bullet or two.

There might be a way out of this. Snowlily could just…

No. There’s no way on Earth he would ever do that. Not to a little boy. Not to someone so young with so much life ahead of him. No matter how cruel Misono Alicein can be to Vampires, there is no way Snowlily would ever dream of killing his Eve.

Tears are starting to form in Snowlily’s eyes. He quickly dries them off, but more come. Soon enough, they’re falling too fast to be wiped away, and he can’t breathe at all without sobbing. He tries to stay quiet, tries to avoid waking up Misono. Luckily he’s a heavy sleeper, and Snowlily’s crying goes undetected for a while.

Snowlily lays on the bed beside his Eve, trying to avoid touching him or laying on him. Misono doesn’t seem to even notice he’s there, let alone hear his crying.

He can’t kill his brothers… he can’t kill his Eve… he can’t kill anyone. Life is precious, any life, all life, there isn’t anyone who deserves to die unless they take the lives of others. Everyone deserves a chance to live. Everyone and anyone.

“HEY!”

Snowlily lifts his head and looks at the door, eyes wide with fear. Tears blur his vision, but he can see the silhouette of a human in the brightly lit doorway.

“How did you get in here!?” the person demands.

“I-” the moment Snowlily opens his mouth, the person shrieks.

“VAMPIRE! THERE’S A VAMPIRE IN THE ALICEIN MANSION!” She sprints away down the hallway, crying out over and over, “VAMPIRE! THERE’S A VAMPIRE IN THE YOUNG MASTER’S ROOM!”

The shriek woke Misono, who instantly sits upright and stares at the back of Snowlily’s head. After a moment of panic, he remembers the contract.

“Switch forms, you idiot!” Misono demands.

“Uh, ah! Yes, master!”

A moment later and the tall man is replaced with a butterfly, which instantly flutters behind the curtains again. Misono makes sure that Snowlily isn’t at all visible before looking at the doorway and screaming.

A few servants run in.

“Where did it go?” the female who had spotted Snowlily the first time starts to panic. “It was right here! I know I saw it!”

“I saw it, too,” Misono says. “It must’ve hid somewhere. Start looking.”

They start searching the room, Snowlily strategically fluttering around to avoid being seen. Eventually, the servants conclude it somehow escaped, and they leave the room to hunt it down.

“They’re gone,” Misono says.

Snowlily flutters out of hiding and lands on the bed beside Misono. He switches forms, staring at his Eve, tears still staining his eyes.

“Have you been crying?” Misono asks.

“Miso… sorry, master,” Snowlily swallows and shuts his eyes. The fear in his heart remains as he thinks about potentially slashing his scythe at his own siblings and being forced to watch as they’re killed. “I know I’m your servant, and you’re the master, but I want you to… I want you to promise me one thing. Just one thing. That’s all I ask of you.”

“Tell me what it is, and I’ll think about it.” Misono narrows his eyes. “If it’s a promise to let you live, you can kiss that goodbye.”

He swallows again. “I want you to promise that… that you…” he takes a breath, trying to not cry anymore. “Please don’t make me hurt my brothers.”

Misono’s face shows no sympathy. “Don’t make you hurt your brothers. You mean the other True Vampires?”

“Yes. They’re my family, and I love them more than anything. Please, don’t make me hurt them.”

Misono moves onto his knees, staring at the profile of the crying Servamp. After a moment, he grabs Snowlily’s shirt and yanks him closer, glaring at him from less than ten centimeters away.

“I loved my family, too, you know. My mother, my father, my grandfather, the servants, all of them.” Misono clenches his teeth. “My mother, the woman who gave her life to protect me from that Vampire. My older brother who I thought was long dead and turned out to somehow be alive despite forming a contract with the same Vampire that killed my mom. My father who threw Mikuni out of the house to keep me safe from you bloodthirsty beasts and who DIED BECAUSE OF YOU!” Misono shoves him away, sending him falling backwards onto the bed. He looms over him like death itself, wishing more than anything that he could break All of Love right then and there. “You think I didn’t love my family!? You think I don't miss my parents every day of my life!? You think I don’t care about those servants who managed to survive that attack!? That pocketwatch, the one that’s around _your_ neck, is the one that my father gave me. It used to belong to my grandfather. That pocketwatch is a family heirloom and it’s around the neck of the bloodthirsty beast who killed the man who gave me it.” Misono swallows, his eyes starting to sting. “I gave you that pocketwatch. I gave you the only thing I have left of my father. That watch hasn’t stopped ticking since the day I got it and you're supposed to have to wind it once a day. It ticks like my father’s heartbeat. You should consider yourself lucky that I was willing to give that up to even form a contract with you.”

“Misono-”

“DON’T SAY MY NAME!” Misono takes a few deep breaths, breaths that shake more than he wanted. Breaths that take more effort than a breath normally would. Pained breaths, agonized breaths as he thinks about his father, his mother, the people he lost to the Vampire that’s staring at him right now. “You’re _my_ servant! You’re under _my_ control, and if I want you to do something, you _do it_ no matter what it is!” Misono slams his hands down on the bed, trying to avoid hitting anything else, breaking something, breaking something that he really can’t break right then.

“Master, please, have mercy!” Snowlily can’t hold it back anymore. He’s sobbing, crying, begging. “Please don’t make me hurt my only family.”

“YOU HURT MY FAMILY!” Misono glares right at him, tears streaming down his cheeks. “YOU KILLED MY FAMILY! AND YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO LIVE THROUGH THE PAIN THAT I’M STILL LIVING THROUGH! IF I TELL YOU TO KILL ANYONE, WHETHER IT’S YOUR BROTHER OR YOUR SISTER OR EVEN YOUR OWN CHILDREN, YOU DO IT! YOU DON’T HAVE A CHOICE!”

Snowlily blinks, staring at him, tears streaming down his face. His breathing is shallow and shaky as he stares at the pure rage in Misono’s eyes. There’s nothing he can do, no way to reason with him. He faintly feels the ticking of the pocketwatch against his chest. For some reason, it feels like it’s ticking faster than a watch should tick, as if Misono’s raging heartbeat is somehow coming through that pocketwatch, forcing Snowlily to feel it.

“Yes, master,” he says, his voice breaking. He falls down onto the bed, sobbing at the thought of doing anything like that to his own brothers.

Then again, he had done that to Misono’s father. This poor boy, this poor grieving boy. That’s why he’s so angry. That’s why he’s so merciless and cold. It’s grief. Nothing but pure grief. Grief that Snowlily caused.

A moment later and Misono falls, too, curling up into a ball, sobbing like a child. His cries sound like that of a little boy who fell out of a tree and broke his leg. Of a little girl who fell off her bike and broke her wrist. Of a baby who’s starving and missing his mother.

He cries like a child. The child that he is, deep at his core. The grieving child who can’t possibly be expected to get past the murder of his parents.

The door opens, and Snowlily is forced to switch forms and hide. He hears the sound of a few servant’s voices, attempting to comfort the sobbing boy. Misono shouts at them to leave, but only a few of them do. One stays, and when Snowlily peeks out from his hiding place, he can faintly see the outline of one other person, sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing Misono’s back and not saying anything.

The silent comforting lasts for a while until Misono’s crying fades away. The small boy must’ve cried himself to sleep. The last servant stays there for a bit longer, staring down at him, until at last he gets up and leaves.

Snowlily flutters out of his hiding place, and joins Misono on the bed again. Instead of sitting on the edge of the mattress, however, he lays down beside him, staring at the back of his head and sniffling. There’s nothing he can do. No way out of this mess unless he decides to kill this poor boy in his sleep.

That’s another thing. Misono’s asleep. He must trust that this Vampire is too weak to kill him if he’s willing to fall asleep in the same room as him.

Honestly, though, Misono is right to trust that. Even now, just the thought alone of killing Misono makes Snowlily want to cry even harder. The thought of killing anyone makes him sick to his stomach.

Maybe he can cry himself to sleep, too. Vampires don't need to sleep, but they can, and it might be the only way to escape from these horrible, painful emotions of guilt and regret and fear.

Misono stirs, and Snowlily panics. Then, Misono just rolls over. Snowlily stares at his sleeping face for a minute before resting his arm over Misono’s body, holding him in a strange half-hug. If only Misono wouldn’t freak out the moment he wakes up. Maybe then Snowlily would just stay in that position and fall asleep peacefully.

But he doesn’t. After a short hug, he moves away and stands up, letting Misono have his entire bed to himself.

The distance limit… it takes six hours for it to start having any noticeable effect on the Eve, right? Snowlily can barely remember the rules, but he’s pretty sure the number is six. He could leave for a bit and come back, so long as he’s back within the six-hour window of time. Besides, time away from Misono might be a good thing right now. Perhaps he could find Old Child and cry to him for a while, or maybe Sleepy Ash would be willing to sit there and listen. Maybe he could find one of his other brothers, one that he hasn’t seen in a while.

Or he could go look for his subclass. He has a feeling they're with Old Child, but he isn't sure, and he's still worried sick about them. 

In any case, he has to get away from his sadistic Eve and warn his brothers that he might have to try to kill them later, and if he does end up slicing their heads off with his scythe, that he’s terribly sorry and never wanted to do it in the first place. He didn’t have a choice in the matter.

It was an order from his Eve, and Servamps have to obey their Eve’s every command, whether they want to or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is going to have Tetsu and Hugh. I'm not sure when Mahiru is going to come back, but it will probably be next chapter, too. I hope you enjoyed this one! See you next time!


	10. No Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All Snowlily asks is that he be forgiven if he does try to hurt one of his brothers, because if he does, he won't have a choice.  
> All Mahiru wants is for things to be simple again, but nothing can ever be simple with Vampires involved.  
> All Misono wants is a kill for himself. For himself, and for his father.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been updating this fast, woo! It's the only fic I've really gotten any ideas for lately. I'm going to be honest: I have zero clue how this fic is going to end, or when it's going to end. I've not planned that at all. We'll just have to see what happens. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

“All of Love, what are you doing wandering around here?” 

The voice of Hugh comes through the darkness. Snowlily looks over and spots him standing on a large decorative boulder, his cape wrapped tightly around his small body. 

“I… I was looking for Yuri and Mary,” Snowlily answers, not sure if he should tell Hugh the truth yet. What would he say if he found out Snowlily had been stupid enough to-

No, it wasn’t his fault. The contract wasn’t his choice. Though, he probably could’ve escaped it if he tried hard enough. He could’ve ran away, but he didn’t.

Once Hugh sees that he has his brother’s attention, he steps out of the ominous stance and sits down on the boulder, hanging his legs over the edge, his cape flowing out behind him. “Your subclass, huh? Don’t worry; they found their way back here. They’re staying in my room for the time being.” He gives his younger brother a smirk. “You’re lucky you’re my brother, All of Love. I’m willing to take care of your subclass.”

“I am lucky, I’ll admit it.” He shuts his eyes, letting out a sigh of relief. At least there’s one thing that went right, one thing he doesn’t have to worry about. However, there’s another thing on his mind, something that he really doesn’t want to bring up. His expression falls grim, and he glances at the ground. “There’s another thing.”

The small Vampire cocks his head. “What is it?”

“My name isn’t All of Love anymore. It’s Snowlily.”

“Ooh!” Hugh jumps to his feet eagerly, grinning. “You have an Eve! That’s fantastic! Who is it?” There’s a moment where everything seems fine, but once Hugh sees the pain on Snowlily’s face, he immediately realizes that this news is anything but good. “Who is it?” he asks again, his tone switching from excited to concerned.

“It’s… it’s the Hunter. Misono Alicein.” Snowlily hugs himself, staring at his brother, distraught and fearful. “He formed a contract with me. I’m… I’m not just here for my subclass. I’m here to ask you something.”

“If you’re going to ask me what to do, my answer is kill your Eve.” Hugh stares at Snowlily’s profile. “But I know you, and I know you’d never do such a thing.”

“That’s not what I’m asking you.” He shuts his eyes, pain searing through his chest, his heart. “What I’m asking is this.” He takes a deep breath, trying to avoid breaking down. “I’m asking you to forgive me, if I ever try to kill you, because I won’t have a choice. It’ll be an order from my Eve, and I can’t disobey.”

Hugh’s eyes widen, and he blinks several times as if that will somehow confirm what he just heard. “All of Love.”

“And please,” Snowlily looks him dead in the eyes, “don’t be afraid to hurt me. I’ll know you’re just doing it to protect yourself.”

Hugh takes a breath, his eyes narrowing in determination. “I have to get you out of this situation.”

“No! Please, don’t get involved in this,” Snowlily’s eyes widen, in an almost pleading way. “If you do anything reckless I might have to-”

“No, no, no.” he shakes his head, and then stares up at Snowlily. “It’s my job as your elder brother to protect you. If you’re stuck in a dangerous situation, I’m responsible to help get you out of it.”

“I can handle this myself. I just wanted you to know-”

“And I do know.” He’s so firm, so set on helping Snowlily, and that fact is what terrifies the latter. “I know you. You’re kind, you’re loving, you care about everyone and everything. The last thing you want to do is be in a situation that could put you in the position where you’d have to kill someone. You can’t get yourself out of this, so I have to be the one to do it.”

“You don’t have to be the one to do it,” Snowlily insists. “Please. What are you even going to do?”

“What am I going to do? Isn’t it obvious?” He narrows his eyes again. “I’m going to kill your Eve.”

“No!” That sends Snowlily right to his knees, in front of the boulder that Hugh is standing on. “No, you can’t! You can’t do that!”

“All of Love.” He stares down at him. “He’s going to use you to hurt us. It’s either we break your contract, or break you, and the Servamps would all agree that doing the latter would be unthinkable.”

“But you can’t kill Misono.” He stands up again, staring at Hugh with twinkling eyes. 

“He’s a cold-blooded Hunter.” Hugh glares at him. 

“He’s a grieving little boy!” 

“He has no empathy. He sees us as nothing more than heartless monsters. In his mind, there is no such thing as a Vampire showing regret, or sympathy, or pain. As sweet as you are, and as much as you clearly regret what you did and care about that Hunter’s life, he will never see it that way. You can try to get through to him all you want, but it will never work. We can either kill him, or let him kill us.”

“He’s angry. He’s grief-stricken and angry.”

“I’m aware of that, but he’s completely blinded by said anger. He’s blind to your humanity, blind to your compassion, and you will never be able to get him to see that you can feel human emotions. He’s convinced it’s a lie.”

“I can convince him that it isn’t. I can comfort him.”

“He won’t accept your comfort.” Hugh sighs. “All of Love, you’re about as naive as him. Where he’s blinded by anger, you’re blinded by compassion. You’re almost too sympathetic.”

Snowlily is about to say something else, but then realizes, painfully, that Hugh is right. There doesn't seem to be another way out. But there has to be! They can’t just kill this poor little boy because he’s overwhelmed with grief, can they?

“Hugh? What are you doing up?”

The voice of Tetsu comes from a back doorway. The Vampires look over to see the human boy standing underneath the outside lamp, staring at them sleepily.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Hugh says. “Humans require sleep, don’t they?”

“Yeah, but your voice woke me up.” Tetsu looks at Snowlily. “Oh, you’re here. Your children are in Hugh’s room.”

“I know; Hugh told me.”

“And Tetsu, they aren’t his children, they’re his subclass. There’s a difference.” Hugh smiles at his Eve. 

“Oh, yeah, right. You told me that.” Tetsu shakes his head. “You should really go back to sleep, Hugh. Aren’t you tired?”

“Vampires don’t need to sleep. I can be up all night and not get tired. You, however, should go back to bed. Humans do need sleep.” Hugh looks back at Snowlily. “I’ll be done talking to my brother here, soon.”

“Alright. Goodnight, Hugh.”

“Goodnight, Tetsu.”

With that, Tetsu goes through the door and disappears from sight. Snowlily lets out a sigh. “Speaking of Eves, I’m going to have to get back to mine soon. Hugh, I’m begging you, don't do anything rash.”

“I think everything through. I don’t do ‘rash’ things.” He wraps his cape around himself again. “I should be telling you not to do anything rash, but it’s already too late for that. You need to see past the ‘grieving little boy’ and into the ‘cold-hearted Hunter’.”

“Maybe you need to see past the ‘cold-hearted Hunter’ and into the ‘grieving little boy’.” Snowlily narrows his eyes. “I know he’s done terrible things to our kind, but-”

“But nothing. That right there should be enough for you to understand where I’m coming from. I don’t think you realize what he’s going to do with you.” Hugh glares back. “He’s going to make you kill us. He’s going to order you to take out your scythe and chop my head off, and there’s nothing you can do about it. The last thing I want to do is hurt you, All of Love, but if the time comes and it’s me or you, I’m not going to have a choice.”

No choice. 

Snowlily won’t have a choice, either. Not if he refuses to listen to his older brother. But there’s something about that Alicein boy, something endearing, something that makes Snowlily want to do everything he can to protect that boy and love him.

Snowlily sighs. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I just… I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I can’t help it.”

“You have a soft spot for children, especially human children. Anyone with half a brain can see that.” Hugh’s gaze softens. “But you have to harden up. Your brothers’ lives are at stake.”

“I know.” He shuts his eyes. “But I’m the weakest of us seven. If I am forced to attack any of you, you could easily-”

“Enough. Don’t say things like that. None of us want to hurt you, and I know you don’t want to hurt us, either. You have to get out of this, and if you won’t do it, I will.”

_ If you won’t do it, I will. _

Snowlily knows exactly what Hugh is referring to. The thought terrifies him, but deep down he knows there isn’t any other way out. Not unless he can somehow get through to Misono. It will be hard, but there has to be some way. 

“I know,” Snowlily says at last. “I know.” He takes a deep breath, and meets his brother’s eyes. “I hope you don’t mind, but I don’t want my subclass anywhere near that mansion. If you could keep them here…” his words trail off, and he shakes his head. “If you could keep them here, that would be nice.”

“Of course, it’s not a problem at all.” Hugh looks at him. “As long as you come by to see them, I don’t think they’ll have a problem with it, either.”

“I know they won’t. They’re good kids.” He tries to crack a smile. It’s there, but just barely. “I should get back to my Eve now, before anything happens with the distance limit.”

“Alright. I wish you luck, All of Love. Please, come see me as often as you can.” He’s talking like it’s a normal visit, like they didn’t just have an entire conversation about killing Snowlily’s Eve, like nothing bad is going on at all. At least, that’s how he sounds. The look in his eyes is anything but typical, and Snowlily can easily see it.

“Of course,” Snowlily responds, trying to sound typical as well. His voice breaks, but he quickly hides it behind one of his usual giggles. “I’ll be sure to see you again soon. Take care.”

“Take care, yourself.” Hugh turns to go back inside, though he can’t resist a glance over his shoulder as Snowlily switches forms and flutters off into the night.

“Please,” he says, “take care of yourself.”

* * *

 

The next morning is quite a hectic morning for Mahiru. For one thing, he just remembers his lack of any school supplies, and given that school starts fairly soon, he really needs to get his hands on some. For another thing, the memories of everything Sakuya had said to him, everything that Misono had said to him, and everything that had gone down hit him like a tidal wave. 

He gets up like he’s in a hurry. Kuro slowly opens his eyes, peering at Mahiru from his spot on the floor. He stretches his mouth in a wide kitty yawn and flops over, his tail thumping on the ground behind him.

“What are you in such a rush for?” Kuro asks tiredly.

“I have to get school supplies, and I have to find Sakuya, and I have to find Misono, and I have to-”

“Woah, woah, woah. Slow down. You don’t have to do anything right this second, do you?” Kuro stands up and stretches, kneading his paws on the pillow. “You just got up. Give yourself a minute to adjust to reality again.”

Mahiru walks up to the bathroom sink. Kuro might be right. Why is he in such a hurry? Mahiru’s first instinct is that he’s just used to being busy, that it feels weird to not have a billion things to be doing. Free time isn’t something he’s exactly used to. The other side of things is that it probably just feels like he has a thousand obligations, but none are really “obligations” at all. He doesn’t _ have _ to find Sakuya, though it would be nice to talk to his friend again and figure out how to help him. He doesn’t  _ have  _ to find Misono, though it would be nice to get an explanation from him and try to convince him that Kuro isn’t an evil being and that Mahiru isn’t a traitor. He doesn’t  _ have  _ to get his school supplies right then, either. School doesn’t start for another four weeks, though getting a head-start on that would be nice, so that he doesn’t have to rush around last minute to get a pack of pencils unlike last year.

He rolls up his sleeves to wash his face, and only then does he see the faded writing on his wrist. Misono’s phone number is still perfectly readable. It’s kind of bizarre, that it’s barely faded at all. He doesn’t need to have that on his wrist anymore; he has Misono saved as a contact in his cell phone. Though, for some strange reason, Mahiru doesn’t want to wash it off, in case he needs it for something.

What would he need Misono’s number for, anyway? It’s hard to imagine him needing it for anything now. He’s not on the run from any Vampires, other than the one that apparently turned Sakuya. Tsubaki, its name was. What a strange name for a Vampire, especially one as apparently evil as that one. Had its Eve given it that name? Does it even have an Eve? 

Still deep in thought, Mahiru gets himself ready to face the day. By the time he’s dressed and groomed, Kuro has only just managed to switch forms and move as far as to get in front of the TV, so he could sit there and watch it.

“If you keep doing that, the cable bill is going to go through the roof,” Mahiru says, turning the TV off. “Come on; we’re going out.”

“Ugh, why?” Kuro looks up at him. “Didn’t I just tell you to give yourself some time to adjust to reality?”

“I did adjust. While I was getting ready. Come on.”

“Where are we even going? What are we going to do? There’s nothing to do.”

“Maybe we’ll run into Misono.”

“Misono!? You  _ want  _ to run into that Hunter? Do you see what he's doing to my brother?” Kuro stares at Mahiru, a vague expression of disbelief on his face. “The last thing I want is to see that guy again.”

“I want to run into him to see if I can convince him that you Vampires aren’t as evil as you seem.” Mahiru puts his hands on his hips and stares down at his Servamp. “If you don’t wanna walk, that’s fine. Just switch forms and I’ll carry you in my bag or on my shoulder or something. But either way, I want to find him and I want to talk to him. Either him, or Sakuya. Maybe we’ll run into someone we don’t know. Maybe I’ll just be able to go get my school supplies without running into anyone, who knows? Either way, we’re not sitting in here all day, not with so much we should be doing.”

“Gosh, you talk a lot.” Kuro sighs. “Fine.”

He switches forms, and Mahiru picks up the cat and puts him on his shoulder. Together, they leave the apartment.

Mahiru really has no clue where they’re going. He just lets his legs carry him wherever they may and hopes they carry him in the right direction. Kuro keeps shifting his weight and kneading his paws, as if something is making him uneasy. Mahiru isn’t sure what, and he’s not sure if he should ask, especially since he would be talking to the cat on his shoulder, which could definitely come off as weird to some people walking by.

“What’s the matter, Kuro?” he asks anyway.

Kuro’s response is to let out the most uncomfortable sounding meow in the world and start walking back and forth across his Eve’s shoulders. At one point he even jumped onto Mahiru’s head. 

“Ugh, what are you doing?” Mahiru grabs Kuro by the scruff of his neck and stares at him. “Seriously, what’s your problem all of the sudden? We only just left the apartment.”

“Nyaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!” Kuro squirms out of Mahiru’s grasp and starts weaving his way between Mahiru’s legs in a weird figure-eight pattern. 

“What is going on with you?” Mahiru stares down at him. “What’s happening?”

Kuro arches his back and hisses at something behind them. When Mahiru turns around, he’s face-to-face with someone he’s never seen before in his life. 

“Gah!” He stumbles backwards, resting a hand over his chest. The person before him doesn’t react at all. “You really startled me,” Mahiru says with an awkward laugh.

“Have you seen a hedgehog?” the person asks.

Mahiru blinks. “A hedgehog? Can’t say that I have.”

“Hmm.” 

The strange person stares at him for a few moments longer before walking along, not seeming like he cares very much to look for the hedgehog he apparently lost. Mahiru can’t help but notice the strange backpack the person is wearing: it has wings attached to it, wings that vaguely resemble angel wings.

“Who was that?” Mahiru asks, staring down at Kuro. “Do you know-”

He’s cut off by himself when he realizes what Kuro is actually hissing at. He wasn’t hissing at the strange man with the angel-wing backpack.

He has been hissing into the alleyway, not behind Mahiru, but to the left of him. Mahiru turns and looks, wondering what in there could be scary enough to warrant a Vampire-cat to hiss at it. Cautiously, he takes a few steps out of the sunlight and into the shadows. This alleyway isn’t nearly as narrow as Mahiru’s shortcut alley, and it’s not hard to see in. There’s a couple of dumpsters lining the wall on one side, and a few pipes jutting out of the walls on the other. Graffiti has turned most of the brick wall into a colorful art display.

Though, none of that catches Mahiru’s attention as much as the man standing in it. This man is dressed rather peculiarly: glasses, a scarf, a vest, a tie… striped socks and sneakers. His hair is just as strange: blond, aside from some dark portions at the ends. Because of his hair, and his clothing, it takes Mahiru longer than it should to realize something else about this man:

He has fangs. Fangs, and red eyes.

“Shirota, right?” the Vampire already knows his name, somehow. “People have been talking about you a  _ lot  _ in the Vampire community. When there’s a new Eve,  _ everybody  _ knows.” The Vampire takes note of the cat on Mahiru’s shoulder. “Oh my gosh, it’s you. Sleepy Ash, this is  _ your  _ Eve, huh?”

“Ugh, you.” Kuro jumps off Mahiru’s shoulder and switches forms. 

“It’s good to see you, too, dear brother.” The Vampire steps closer. “How’ve you been? I’m sure you’ve just been downright  _ awful,  _ what with this new Eve problem you’ve got to deal with. You’ve never been all that good at dealing with things.”

Mahiru finds himself feeling increasingly uneasy. Why are there so many Vampires in this town? And why does this one seem to hate Kuro?

“Pardon me,” Mahiru says, “but who exactly are you?”

“Me?” The new Vampire turns to stare at him. “I’m the Servamp of Greed. You can call me Lawless, or… well, Lawless!” He flashes the widest grin Mahiru has ever seen. “I see you met my Eve already. That man with the wings is Licht-tan, my little angel-chan.” 

“Licht… tan?” Mahiru makes a face. “Angel...chan?”

“Well, you see, Licht-tan is sort of, uh, crazy. And stupid. And delusional. And he thinks he’s an angel.” He waves his hand. “It’s quite funny, so I go along with it.”

“Mahiru, let’s get out of here.” Kuro glares at Lawless. “I’d rather be anywhere else than talking to  _ him _ .”

“Aw, leaving so soon?” Lawless gives Kuro a passive-aggressive smirk. “But we only just got reunited. We need to catch up.”

“We can do that some other time,” Kuro growls. “Sometime when I actually feel like it.”

“So, never.” He starts pacing toward them. “Never, because you never feel like doing anything. You always take the easy way out, don’t you?”

“Mahiru, let’s go.” Kuro stares at his Eve. 

“I feel like I’m missing something here,” Mahiru looks back and forth between them. “Why do you two hate each other so much? I thought the Servamps were brothers, that you all cared about each other-”

“Care about each other! Ha!” Lawless throws his head back and laughs. He stares at Mahiru, his eyes flashing with pure rage. “As if Sleepy Ash cares about any of us. The only Vampire he cares about is himself. That’s all he’s ever cared about.” 

“You’re wrong.” Mahiru remembers Kuro rolling around, debating between being lazy or going out to find someone. “There was another one, All of Love, who got hurt, and Kuro and I went out to find him because Kuro was worried-”

“Oh my God, seriously?” Lawless stares at Kuro. “For real? I get it. You’re just keeping the wall up between us, aren’t you? The only ones you like are the ones who agreed with you.”

“Stop talking to me. Go find your little angel-chan.” Kuro gives him a deadpan stare. “If I ever see you again after this, it’ll be too soon.”

“The feeling is mutual, Sleepy Ash.” At that moment, a piercing ringing sound interrupts them. Lawless checks his phone, and then looks back at his brother. “Saved by the bell. You’re lucky I have to get to work. This is far from over.”

With that, he runs off, jumping over a fence at the back of the alleyway. Mahiru blinks, and turns to stare at Kuro.

“What am I missing? Who is that? Why do you two hate each other so much?”

“It’s really none of your business.” Kuro switches forms, and jumps back onto his Eve’s shoulder. “Let’s just get out of here and hope we don’t run into him again.”

Mahiru can’t help but question it further. “What did he mean by ‘the only ones you like are the ones who agreed with you’? ‘You’re just keeping the wall up between us’?”

“It’s not your problem. Don’t make it your problem. It happened over a century ago.” Kuro kneads his paws on Mahiru’s shoulder. “Let’s just say something happened and our family has been divided ever since.”

“Does it relate to the Hunters?”

“Not really.” Kuro sighs. “There was a big strife in the Servamp family long before the Hunters became a problem.”

“Is there a way to fix it?”

“No.” Kuro yawns and stretches. “Most of us get along now anyway. We’re over it. But Lawless won’t let it go.”

“Well he needs to stop holding a grudge. Nothing good comes from holding grudges.” Mahiru blinks. “That’s it! That’s what I need to tell Misono!”

“Pfft. Good luck reasoning with the Hunter. If you run into him, I’m hiding out in your bag.”

“Works for me.” 

It seems like Mahiru can’t stop having strange encounters with Vampires. Then again, would anyone expect Vampires to be normal? They’re immortal, most have been alive for hundreds of years, and these ones represent each of the seven deadly sins. Well, eight deadly sins, given that apparently there’s an eighth Servamp. They’ve seen it all, lived through it all. You can’t expect them to not be a little unhinged.

Though, All of Love, the Servamp of Lust, doesn't seem malicious, unlike the one that Mahiru just ran into, and the eighth Servamp that came for them right when Misono was about to kill Mahiru for betraying him. Each of these Vampires is different, with a distinct personality. Some are the evil, bloodthirsty beasts that Misono thinks they are, and others are kind, caring, sweet, or just lazy and relatively harmless.

Misono can’t see that, for some reason. It feels like it’s obvious, but it must not be. Mahiru wonders if he’s confusing familiar with obvious. What’s familiar to you is completely unknown to other people. What’s “obvious” for you might just be familiar, so you can’t expect everyone to know what you're talking about or understand what you understand. 

But Mahiru isn’t familiar with Vampires. No, he’s just familiar with human beings, and is applying that to the Vampires in question. It seems like the simple thing to do: think of Vampires as nothing more than humans with powers. But it’s not simple, apparently.

Nothing is simple anymore, not when it comes to whatever’s going on.

* * *

 

The next morning for Misono is nothing short of boring. The servants wake him up at the same time they get him up every morning, and he heads down to the dining table for breakfast. Once the servants dress him and do his hair, he tells them that he’s going out again.

The moment he says that, they all panic, as usual, and frantically ask where he’s going, when he’ll be back, as if they’re worried his father is going to come after them if they lose his son. Misono wants to snap at them, wants to tell them that they won’t face any consequences since Misono is now the master of the house, but he can’t bring himself to say it. 

He can never bring himself to say that his father is dead. If the servants want to go on pretending that he’s still alive and that they’ll be punished if anything happens to Misono, so be it. Misono would love to go on pretending that his father is still alive. Sadly, it’s too painfully obvious that he’s gone to do that. At least, painfully obvious for Misono. The servants are apparently to busy with their own work to even notice that their master is dead.

Once he convinces the servants that he’ll come back in one piece, Misono leaves the house, a butterfly hiding out in his breast pocket. Snowlily hadn’t left there since Misono got dressed that morning. When the servants came to wake him up, Snowlily was hiding under the bed, and when Misono was in the bath, he had been on top of the shower curtain. Now, he’s right there in his pocket.

They leave the gate, and reach the bottom of the driveway. It’s only then that Snowlily feels comfortable enough to leave his hiding place and stretch his wings, fluttering alongside his Eve. Something about the morning air feels peaceful to him, something that makes him feel like the day couldn’t possibly be bad. The sun is shining, the air is finally cool enough to be bearable, and there’s a light breeze that perfectly carries his wings as he allows himself to glide through the air. It’s the first time in a long time he’s felt this at ease.

“Where did you go last night?”

The peace is instantly disrupted when Misono’s sharp voice cuts through the gentle air. Snowlily tenses, and he drops sharply down through the air before flapping his wings again and flying back up to his Eve’s eye-level. So Misono had woken up at some point that night, and realized he was gone. 

Snowlily doesn’t say anything.

“Answer me,” Misono demands.

“I went to find my subclass and talk to my brother,” Snowlily answers, trying to avoid sounding as terrified as he is.

“I asked  _ where  _ you went, I didn’t ask  _ what  _ you went there for.” Misono growls. “Answer me.  _ Where did you go last night?” _

“White Water Hot Springs.” Snowlily answers it instinctively, though he really doesn’t want to. He couldn’t help it: an order is an order. He wishes he could hide his face, even though Misono can’t see any sort of expression on a butterfly.

“White Water Hot Springs,” Misono repeats. “What the hell were your subclass doing there?”

“My brother is living with his Eve there. My subclass went because they knew they would be safe.” Snowlily finds himself hoping to the ends of Earth that Misono doesn't know where White Water Hot Springs is. 

“Seems kind of weird, but I know you wouldn’t dare lie to your Eve about this.” Misono pulls out his cell phone, and Snowlily feels his heart drop when Misono types in White Water Hot Springs to his GPS tracker to find the location.

“Master, please, it’s not necessary to-”

“Silence!”

Snowlily instantly stops talking. He lands on his Eve’s head and tries to ignore the pain in his soul. He knows exactly what Misono plans on doing. Snowlily had mentioned his brother: his brother obviously refers to another Servamp, and what does Misono want to do more than anything else?

Kill a Servamp. Any Servamp. It doesn't matter which, as long as Snowlily cares enough about them to grieve their death.

“I need Dodo,” Misono angrily mutters mostly to himself as he scrolls through his contact list. “I’m not walking all the way there.”

Maybe Dodo will crash the car. Maybe they’ll get lost. Maybe they’ll get a flat tire… something has to happen, Snowlily thinks. Please let something happen, so they won’t make it there.

“Dodo,” Misono says sharply, “I need you to drive me to White Water Hot Springs. I have reason to believe there’s a Vampire there.”

“Roger that,” Dodo responds. “Where are you?”

“At the bottom of the driveway. I didn’t make it very far.”

“Got it. I’ll be there soon.”

That’s the extent of that phone call. Misono instinctively reaches into his pocket, only to remember that the pocketwatch no longer resides there. It’s now around the neck of the Vampire that Misono had formed a contract with. It frustrates him to no end. He wants to feel that ticking, he wants to run his fingers along the chain, but none of that can happen now unless he rips the pocketwatch off that Vampire.

He clenches his fist instead as he waits for Dodo. A moment later and he feels something crawling around in his hair.

“Get off my head!” He orders, shooing the butterfly off. Snowlily flutters around until he lands on a blade of grass down by Misono’s feet.

When Dodo finally gets there, the car ride is silent, and Snowlily is forced to hide in Misono’s breast pocket to avoid being seen. It’s dark in there, but at least he can feel his Eve’s heartbeat. That boy is still alive, and no matter how much pain and terror he causes, Snowlily can tell from that pounding heart that it’s nothing but grief and anger fueling it. He's not cold-hearted, he’s not malicious, he’s nothing that Hugh thinks he is.

Except he’s everything that Hugh thinks he is. Even if it’s grief and anger fueling him, he’s still carrying out all of these terrible actions.

“So, where’d you get the intel that there’s a Vampire at White Water Hot Springs?” Dodo questions.

“An anonymous source,” Misono responds, feeling the gun on his right side and the dagger on his left. His belt is one of his favorite things he inherited from his father, though he doesn’t get the chance to wear it as much as he would like to. 

“Hmm. You trust this source?”

“As much as I can trust it. I’ve been eager for a kill, you know that.” Misono looks out the window at the buildings as they slowly crawl by. “Can’t you drive any faster? You were going at least eighty the one night.”

“I was going eighty because the other servants were ready to kill me for losing you.” Dodo looks at Misono’s reflection in the rearview mirror. “I’d rather not get a ticket on the way to a Vampire killing. What would they think if they saw a little boy in the backseat with a gun?”

“They’d think you were the least responsible caretaker of the century.”

“Exactly. Just sit back and meditate or something. I’ll get you there in one piece.”

Misono leans back against the seat and shuts his eyes. He pictures the Vampire, though he isn’t sure which one this even is. He’s tempted to ask, but Snowlily won’t answer with Dodo in the car. No, he has to just imagine a generic Vampire, one with blood red eyes, pale skin, fangs, claws, ready to tear into anyone and anything-

No, no, no. These Vampires are smarter than to just openly show their malice. This is a Vampire with blood red eyes and fangs, pale skin, one that’s acting kind, one that's pretending to be human. This is one that most people would overlook, but Misono won’t lose sight of it. No, if it has red eyes and fangs, it’s a Vampire, and all of the emotions it’s showing are fake and plastic, so that it can lure in its prey and coexist with humans. 

Misono would pretend to understand it, and pretend that it’s just a normal human. The moment he’s alone with it is when he would strike. First, it would be Snowlily, and he would order him to use that scythe of his to attack. While the Vampire is distracted with the other Servamp, Misono would find it’s item and break it. Once it’s broken, once it’s weak and on the verge of dying anyway, Misono would shoot it right between the eyes, and then shoot it in the chest. Since it’s broken, it won’t heal. Since it’s broken, it will die. But just in case, just in case those bullets aren’t enough, there’s a final thing Misono would like to do.

Once the Vampire is dead, or almost dead, Misono will have Snowlily slice its head off with his scythe.

That’s what’s going to happen. That’s how it’s going to play out. He rehearses his every movement over and over again in his head. As long as nothing goes wrong, as long as Snowlily does what he’s told and as long as there’s no interference, everything should play out perfectly and Misono will finally get to claim a kill for himself.

And Snowlily will finally feel his pain. For real. The Servamp of Lust may act like he can feel pain and regret, but he won’t truly know it until his brother is dead.

“How much farther?” Misono asks.

“It’s all the way across town. Hold your horses.” Dodo glances at his phone screen. “It’s going to take at least another twenty minutes to get there, and that’s if I drive at the speed I usually drive at.”

“Which is?”

“At least five over the speed limit the whole way there.”

Misono sighs. “Fine. I’ll wait.”

“I know you really want to get a kill for yourself, but please be patient.”

“I will.” Misono shuts his eyes and leans his head back again. He can barely be quiet, however. “Do you think papa would be proud of me?”

“Huh?”

“My father. Do you think he would be proud of me, if I claimed a kill for myself?”

Dodo hesitates for a moment before saying, “I’m sure he would be.”

Though, in reality, Dodo definitely isn’t sure that’s the case. Sure, the thought of Misono being so strong and so brave would make any father proud if he was their son, but with Mikado Alicein, things had been way different.

_ I can’t let him know! I don’t want my son getting involved in this! It’s too dangerous, and if anything were to happen to him… I don’t know what I would do…  _

_ I’m doing this to protect my children. That’s all I’ve ever been doing this for. They can’t ever be safe if those Vampires are still running amok… _

_ Someday it will be him protecting everyone, but hopefully that day doesn’t come for a very long time. He’s still young, still innocent. I want him to keep that innocence for as long as he can…  _

_ I can’t imagine him shooting a gun to defend himself, let alone killing anything with it…  _

_ If I don’t come back, tell Misono I love him. Yes, I know I say that every night, but one night, I might actually not come back… _

Dodo only realizes that he’s crying when his vision gets so blurry he can barely see the road. Luckily a traffic light above his head turns red, and he has enough time to dry his eyes out and blink the tears away. All of those things that master Mikado had said, it’s difficult to imagine him saying them now that Misono has come so far, but the words still stick.

He hadn’t wanted Misono involved in this Vampire mess, not until he was old enough to handle it. Sadly, life and death love to get in the way of our plans.

He would be proud, if he could see his son right now. Proud, but also horrified and guilt-stricken that it had been his death that caused it. His son in danger, and it’s because he couldn’t live long enough to prevent it.

But Misono can handle the danger. He can definitely handle everything. If he couldn’t, Dodo certainly wouldn’t be driving him right to the place a Vampire is hiding out. There’s a degree of trust in there. Dodo is a servant, a chauffeur at that, but he wouldn’t agree to do any of this if he didn’t trust that Misono wouldn’t do anything stupid.

“Dodo,” Misono says.

“Yeah?” He responds.

“You don’t really think papa would be proud of me, do you?”

Dodo sighs. Misono is too smart for his own good. “He would be proud, but he’d also be absolutely terrified.”

“Terrified? Of me?”

“Of the thought of you involved in the Alicein/Vampire feud.”

“I am an Alicein. Naturally I would be involved at some point.”

“Yes, but your father thought it wouldn’t be for at least another decade or two.”

Misono clenches his fist. There’s a reason that it didn’t take another decade or two for Misono to get involved. “Vampires always ruin everything for the Alicein family. It’s like a curse.”

“The Alicein curse. Vampires always ruin everything.”

“Yeah. Exactly.” Misono shuts his eyes. He reaches into his pocket again, only to feel an empty pocket. That watch still isn’t there. It’s still around the neck of that bloodthirsty monster. If there’s anything that his father wouldn’t be happy about, it would be that his pocketwatch is around a Vampire’s neck, sealing a lifelong contract between Misono and that being. His father wouldn’t understand, but maybe after he sees that Misono isn’t sympathizing with that monster, he would be willing to accept it. That Vampire is nothing but a tool that Misono is using for his own benefit. It’s to make killing the Vampires easier, more efficient, since apparently the weapon of another Servamp is the only thing that can efficiently kill a Servamp.

Misono swallows. His mind wanders to his rehearsed kill, and he plays through it again. He imagines the Vampire’s terrified face as Misono himself looms over it with his revolver, ready to plant a bullet right between its eyes.

_ This will be my first real kill,  _ he thinks.  _ And this one will be for you, papa. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Licht and Lawless! I wasn't sure if they should show up in this chapter or a later one, but I figured having them at least acquainted with Mahiru and Kuro right now would be a good idea. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and see you in the next one!


	11. Confusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snowlily can't refuse an order, no matter how terrible it is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love my 4-hour binge writing sessions that I get in the afternoon sometimes. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

No flat tires.

No crashes.

No breakdowns.

Nothing interrupts them on their way to White Water Hot Springs, no matter how much Snowlily hopes something will. Whatever he thinks will happen never does, because the car continues down the road. Whenever Dodo stops, the butterfly dares to crawl a little bit out of its hiding place, only to see that it’s a stop sign, or a red light, or something like that. Nothing that would delay them for more than a few seconds.

Misono’s head is leaned back against the seat. His eyes are shut, and his breathing is so steady that Snowlily thinks for a moment that he might just be sleeping. However, when the car goes over a bump, Misono’s eyelids flicker, showing that he isn’t asleep at all; he’s just deep in thought, probably imagining the feeling of killing one of the True Vampires.

Even though it won’t be him doing any of the killing. He can have the illusion that shooting a gun at the Vampire would do anything but hurt it, but it wouldn’t. Even if the Servamp is broken, that gun still won’t do any more than wound it, no matter if it’s hit in the heart or the brain or whatnot. No, the only thing that can really kill a Servamp is if its broken for too long or if another Servamp uses its weapon.

Though, something tells Snowlily that Misono knows that already.

“Let me off here, Dodo,” Misono says suddenly.

Dodo pulls over and switches the car into park. He turns around in his seat, staring at the boy in wonder. “You sure?”

“I don’t want any attention drawn to myself.” Misono unfastens his seatbelt and stares at his chauffeur. “Wait here, though. Don’t go home.”

“Wait here?” Dodo glances up the road a ways, and then back at Misono. “How long do you think this will take?”

“If I’m not back in an hour, feel free to leave.”

“You want me to wait an hour?”

“I know you’ve got some magazines hidden under the seats back here, and you have your cell phone on you. You won’t get bored.”

Dodo wishes he had a decent comeback. “Touche. Go ahead.”

“Thanks.”

With that, Misono opens the car door and leaves, slamming it shut behind him. He watches through the windshield as Dodo leans over the seat, digging around in the back for one of the dirty magazines he has hidden back there. He turns back toward his destination, feeling more and more determined the closer he gets.

He has to strategize what he’ll do when he walks in there. He’ll go up to the front desk, and ask for a room. He inherited a billion dollar fortune; a room at a resort is nothing. He’ll then wander the hallways and use Snowlily’s connection to his siblings to track down the Servamp and figure out what room it’s in. From there, he’ll figure out how to get in there. Perhaps he’ll sneak and steal the master key. Maybe all he has to do is knock…

That’s how he’ll get in. He’ll use Snowlily. He’ll make Snowlily knock and say that he’s there to visit.

This Vampire contract makes this so much easier. Misono now sees why Mikuni formed one.

At last he reaches the building and enters it. Someone is sitting there at the front desk, and says the typical “Hi, welcome to [insert name of business here]! How can I help you?” line.

“I’d like to rent a room, please,” Misono smiles.

The woman smiles back. “And where are your parents, young man?”

 _Does she think I’m twelve or something!?_ “They’re on their way. They asked me to rent the room for them. We’re here for my sixteenth birthday.”

She blinks as if she’s surprised by his age. “Alright, sir. Would you like…”

After a small interaction and a little transaction, Misono finally has a key to one of the many rooms in this resort, and is now walking down the hallway, feeling his heart pounding harder and harder. He’s so close; this is a lot easier than he thought it would be.

“Snowlily,” he whispers.

The Vampire crawls out of his pocket and flutters around for a while. Misono glances at the butterfly, which is now resting on his finger. Its wings are trembling, almost like it’s afraid.

“Yes, master?” he hears the voice say quietly.

“I need you to tell me which room that Vampire is in.” He narrows his eyes at the butterfly. “That’s an order.”

“Uh, yes… the room… I… I don’t remember the number off the top of my head…”

“Can’t you sense his presence or something?” Misono’s glare gets even more deadly. “Listen, I’m gonna walk around, and you tell me when you feel like he’s there.”

“Uh, yes, master.”

Misono wanders up and down the hallways, with Snowlily perched on his finger the whole time. The closer they get to the room, the more Misono can see the butterfly tensing up, its wings getting sharper, and trembling. That’s his clue that he’s nearing the Vampire, and he uses it to his full advantage.

“He’s in there,” Snowlily says so quietly that Misono can barely hear it.

“There?” Unfortunately, Misono does hear it, and he stops in front of the door. “Perfect. Now, switch forms.”

Snowlily flutters off his finger, and switches forms, the butterfly replaced with the tall blond man, who looks downright horrified by what he knows is about to happen. The look in his face is pure pain and despair, and the glimmer in his eyes is almost pleading. However, even when Misono is looking right at him, he feels no sympathy, and it’s clear with his next words, which he speaks after leading his Servamp down the hallway several meters.

“Knock on the door,” Misono orders at a whisper of a volume, “and when he asks who it is, tell him its you, and make your intentions seem innocent.”

The Vampire glances back at the door, breathing heavily out of nerves. He swallows. “Yes, master.”

 _At least this one is obedient._ Misono thinks. _Unlike Mikuni’s._

Misono watches closely as Snowlily walks up to the door they were just in front of. He can clearly see the fear in his Servamp’s eyes, and almost shouts at him to hide it. It takes a lot of nerve for Misono to hold his sharp tongue, but he knows it will be worth it.

Why does that Vampire look so scared, anyway? Is the thought of hurting his siblings really paining him that much?

Of course it is. Those are his only family. Not to mention, they aren’t human. If it was humans Misono was ordering him to kill, Snowlily wouldn’t care nearly as much, he’s certain of it. Vampires may feel sympathy for each other, may be able to empathize with each other, but they can’t even begin to feel human emotions or relate to them.

Though, fear is a pretty human emotion…

He knocks on the door, and Misono hides behind a nearby plant.

“Who is it!?” he hears a high, childlike voice shout through the door.

Immediately, Snowlily puts on a happy voice, and any trace of fear or pain that was there before is instantly gone.

“It’s me, Hugh!” he says almost cheerfully.

“All of Love!”

They sound almost happy to see each other. Where did that fear and pain go? It’s like the Vampire just erased it without a second thought. Vampires are notoriously good liars, and even one as seemingly caring and kind as the Servamp of Lust possesses that trait. They can lie like no other, fool a police-scale lie detector test.

The door opens, and Misono steps out from behind his hiding place. He has to do a double-take when he actually sees the Servamp in question.

It's the same one he ran into in the alleyway, the one that saved All of Love before Misono could kill him, the one that showed up out of nowhere, turning the fight into two against one. It's the Vampire that helped Snowlily get away the first time, the one that prevented Misono from claiming a kill sooner. 

That's just perfect.

“I’m back!” Snowlily is smiling so innocently, so purely. He’s bending down so he’s closer to Hugh’s height.

“I can see that!” Hugh is smiling, too. “How did you get back here so quickly?”

“Oh, I just lied my way out.” His eyes glimmer with sadness for a moment, but quickly return to being full of lighthearted joy again. “Said I was going to the cinema.”

“Classic All of Love.” He smirks. “There’s a reason I’m willing to call you my little brother. You meet all my criteria.”

Snowlily giggles.

Then, Hugh’s face turns grim. “About your Eve… did you make up your mind yet?”

The smiling, the giggling, the joy, it all vanishes without a trace. “About my Eve…”

“You can’t do it, can you?”

“Of course not. He’s my Eve.”

“He’s your Eve, but that doesn’t mean you can just let him order you to do something terrible to us. You have to get out of it, All of Love, and I”ve said it before: if you don’t do it, I will.”

 _Do what?_ Misono feels his heart skip a beat. He has to interrupt now, before this conversation takes a turn for the worst.

“SNOWLILY!” Misono shouts. “NOW!”

“NOW!?”

Without a second to spare, Snowlily summons his scythe and slashes it at Hugh, who just barely manages to jump out of the way.

“WOAH, WHAT!?” Hugh sprints back into the room and tries to shut the door, but Misono is quick to jump and hold it open.

Suddenly, Hugh can see the perfect image of Misono and Snowlily, aka, All of Love and his new Eve, standing right there, with Misono pressing his palm flat against the door, and Snowlily standing there, holding his scythe, looking like he would much rather be anywhere else doing anything else.

“I’m sorry, Old Child,” Snowlily says, his voice suddenly monotonous and melancholy. “I warned you about this. I don’t have a choice.”

“Your subclass are right over there,” Hugh thrusts his finger in the direction of the corner of the room, where Yuri and Mary had gone to cower in terror as they stare at their Servamp, “If you do this, you’ll be leaving them with the worst impression of you.”

“I can’t refuse,” his voice breaks, and he’s forced to swallow any emotion he has. “It’s an order from my Eve. I can’t refuse an order.”

Misono steps forward, the door stuck open behind them. “At least one of you understands, you twisted creatures.”

“You wouldn’t hurt a child, would you?” Hugh stares at him. “I’m only five years old.”

“You appear to be five years old. In reality, you’re hundreds of years old and you’ve got more life experiences than any human on Earth.” Misono narrows his eyes. “If anyone here is a child, it’s me, and you’re probably planning ways to kill me right this second.”

“Miso… er, master,” Snowlily looks at him, his eyes twinkling like he’s about to start crying.

“What!?” Misono snaps, glaring at him.

“Please… let my subclass leave…”

Misono’s eyes wander to the two little children cowering in the corner of the room. The moment his eyes meet theirs, something strikes a nerve with him. The way they’re trembling in fear as they stare at their creator, about to kill his own brother. Their wide eyes, blaring red as they are, look like eyes that Misono wore once upon a time. They look innocent.

They’re Vampires. But they aren’t True Vampires.

They’re secondary when it comes to Misono’s goal.

Besides, if he doesn’t, Snowlily might just get enough emotion built up to rebel. That’s the last thing Misono wants: his own Servamp interfering with his plans.

“Fine,” he says. “They can go.”

“Yuri, Mary,” Snowlily looks at them. “Get out of here. Run. Now.”

Without a second of hesitation, the two little Vampires sprint out of the room as fast as their little legs can carry them, and Misono kicks the door behind him shut so hard that it slams more loudly than any door Misono has ever heard in his life.

“Now then,” he says, narrowing his eyes at the Servamp before him. “Where were we?”

“You were about to kill me,” Hugh answers. “But you’re sorely mistaken if you think you can pull it off. I’m the second oldest of us seven. I know all of the tricks of any Vampire Hunter.”

“You don’t know my tricks. You might've stopped me once before, but now I have a new weapon.” Misono narrows his eyes. “Snowlily.”

“Yes?”

“Kill him.”

Snowlily nearly gasps. His eyes land on Hugh, who is glaring at him like he knows Snowlily would never make this mistake. His eyes say everything. _Don’t you dare do it, All of Love. Don’t you dare._

However, he knows deep down that Snowlily has no choice.

He shuts his eyes. “Yes, master.”

He slashes his scythe without even looking.

Hugh shrieks and dives out of the way, but Snowlily is quick to slash again. Every single time he moves, Hugh is quick to dodge. Snowlily almost wishes Hugh wouldn’t dodge, that Hugh would just stay still and let him get this over with. Either that, or he wishes that Hugh would actually fight back, would just break him and make this nightmare end, but Hugh wouldn't do that to him.

No, all Hugh is going to do is dodge. Dodge and stall until something interrupts them. Oh, that's the worst plan ever.

Another slash, another dodge. Another. Another. Another. Hugh is small, but Hugh is fast. Faster than All of Love. Better at avoiding strikes. Better at fighting in general.

He ducks. He jumps. He slides out of the way. He does everything so quickly that Snowlily can’t even begin to keep up. He slashes aimlessly, taking no time to even contemplate his next best move. He can tell this is frustrating Misono. He can faintly feel his annoyance through the air, can feel those glaring eyes burning holes in the back of his head.

He’s not trying. Snowlily isn’t trying at all, because he doesn’t want to hurt his brother.

That’s the last thing he wants to do, but he doesn’t have a choice.

He can’t have a choice.

“All of Love, stop!” Hugh yells, dodging once again.

“I can’t!” Snowlily slashes at him again, his scythe slamming down into the floor so hard that it gets stuck there, carving a small trench where it had been the moment Snowlily yanks it free. “I wish I could, Hugh! I really do! But I don’t have a choice!”

He brings it down again, Hugh just barely managing to get out of the way. Misono’s irritation grows and grows until at last he shouts.

“THIS IS TAKING TOO LONG!”

He draws his gun and fires.

The loud bang reverberates through the entire room, echoing through the entire building. That bang is loud, sure, but it can’t even begin to compare to the shriek that follows.

Hugh screeches so loudly that Misono winces. Snowlily wants to cover his ears, which feel like they’re about to start bleeding, but he’s too shocked. His hands are locked around the handle of his scythe as he watches his brother go down, completely helpless, screaming like a child who fell off his bicycle and skinned his leg.

“Snowlily,” Misono growls. “He’s down. Make sure he can’t get back up. I don’t want him dodging this one.”

Snowlily doesn’t move. He’s frozen in place like a statue, clutching the handle of his scythe so tightly that his fingers feel like they’re about to break.

“SNOWLILY!” Misono snaps.

The Servamp jumps back to attention, turning to look at his Eve. That look of horror on his face once again brings nothing but a cold glare back from Misono.

“Cut his leg off,” Misono orders. “Make sure he can’t move.”

The pain had already passed, and Hugh is finally breathing easy again, not screaming. He’s clutching his arm, though, clearly still sore, clearly still in some form of pain. That breathing is coming through his clenched teeth as he lays there. Snowlily takes a deep breath, staring down at him.

“I’m sorry, Hugh,” he whispers. “I’m so, so sorry.”

“I…” Hugh’s forces his eyes open, forces himself to stare at his brother. “I… I forgive you.”

Snowlily shuts his eyes, not wanting to watch as he does what he has to do.

He brings the scythe down.

The shriek that follows is nothing like the one before it. This shriek is worse, way worse. This one isn’t like a kid who fell off his bike; this scream is like someone caught on fire, feeling as their skin is melting and their every nerve is being fried.

Snowlily can’t look. He doesn’t want to look. The last thing he wants to see is his brother in pain. Hearing it is bad enough.

“Hugh!”

Snowlily forces his eyes open, forces himself to look at the door, which gets flung open so hard that it dents the wall on the other side.

Someone had come in. Tetsu is standing there, clearly having heard the gunshot and the shrieking. There's more screaming coming from the hallway. The entire building is probably being evacuated, and it's all because of Misono and Snowlily.

“HUGH!”

Tetsu tries to run over. Misono is quick to stop him, pointing his gun right at the boy.

“Stop!” he orders. “Come any closer and I’ll blow your head off!”

Tetsu skids to a stop, staring in complete horror at Misono. “So you’re the Hunter Hugh was talking about.”

“Yeah.” Misono clenches his teeth. “That’s me.”

“You’re gonna kill Hugh.”

“Yeah, I am.”

Tetsu narrows his eyes. “I won’t let anyone hurt Hugh. Not on my watch.”

“Good luck trying to stop me.” Misono growls.

Hugh is still on the ground, writhing in agony, screaming occasionally, crying more often. It takes every bit of nerve Snowlily has to not turn and look at him. He knows the moment he looks at Hugh, he’s not going to be able to control himself.

“Hey, I know you!” Tetsu stares at Snowlily. “You’re Hugh’s brother. We helped you.”

Snowlily clutches his scythe again, more tightly than ever.

“Why are you trying to kill Hugh? He saved you.”

Snowlily shuts his eyes, not even wanting to look at the kid. He can’t possibly explain this to him.

“Enough talking.” Misono aims his gun at the Vampire on the ground again.

“DON’T YOU DARE!”

Something extremely large and extremely heavy gets swung at Misono. The Hunter barely has time to duck as that strange object passes over his head. He stands up again, turning to stare at Tetsu.

He’s now holding what has to be a coffin. The look on his face is nothing but pure rage. It’s almost terrifying, someone that large, someone that muscular, giving you a look like he’s about to kill you, but if Misono’s gotten good at one thing over the years, it’s hiding his fear. Fear is something that Vampires take full advantage of.

Confusion, however…

“What the hell!?”

Misono aims his gun and fires, but Tetsu blocks it with that coffin he got out of seemingly nowhere. This happens again and again. Misono barely manages to dodge as the kid swings that coffin around, trying to hit him with it.

This is the weirdest fight Misono has ever gotten into, but he can’t let the strangeness of it get to him. He has to get this guy out of the way. He just has to. He’s so close. He can’t let some random Eve with a coffin stop him from claiming that kill. Once that guy is gone, that Vampire is his for the taking.

That’s all he has to do. He just has to get this guy out of the way. He has to wound him, kill him, it doesn’t matter what.

He has to kill that Vampire.

“Tetsu!” The Vampire on the ground speaks, coughing intensely as he does so.

“Hugh, what is it?” Tetsu swings the coffin again, nearly hitting Snowlily, who shrieks and jumps out of the way rather ungracefully.

“Tetsu, get me out of here!”

“I will, I promise.” Tetsu glares at Misono. “Right after I’m through with this guy.”

“He doesn’t matter right now! I matter!” Hugh coughs again. “Tetsu, just forget it! He’s too strong! Get me out of here!”

“No he’s not. Not for me.”

“Where did this guy get that coffin from!?” Misono shouts, ducking as the kid swings it at him again.

“It’s his weapon, master!” Snowlily holds his scythe, ready to slash it.

“What the hell!? Why is his weapon a coffin!?”

“I don’t know, but it is!”

Tetsu swings it at Snowlily, who blocks it with his scythe. It’s difficult, though, and he still gets flung back several meters. He then spins around and aims at Misono once again, who ducks and fires his gun at the guy’s leg.

He blocks it with that damn coffin.

Curse that damn coffin.

Wait, what?

Misono is suddenly caught off guard by the writing he just now noticed on the front of that coffin. Right there, on the door that often gets nailed down to bury the dead, is the phrase:

_Come on down to White Water Hot Springs._

In his confusion, Misono is stunned for one second too long as that coffin slams into his head. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tetsu comes to save the day. Also, Cliffhanger. I hope you enjoyed. See you in the next one.


	12. I'm Sorry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A pair of twins tell Mahiru what happened.  
> Mahiru just wants to help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter. I hope you enjoy it!

So many Vampires. Why are there so many Vampires? What is Mahiru supposed to do, talk to every single one and do something about the feud in the Servamp family? Honestly, that sounds like it would be to complicated, even for Mahiru. The last thing he wants is to make something worse, and that’s probably what would happen if he tried to force seven - no, eight - siblings to try to get along.

But what should he do? He continues down the sidewalk, thinking hard about what is being asked of him.

Nothing. Nothing is being asked of him. He just wants to help because, well, he’s Mahiru. But he can’t help.

He feels his wristband slide up and glances down, and notices Misono’s phone number on his wrist. Should he call him? Should he let him know that he found another Vampire? That’s what Misono told him to do, right? He’s supposed to call if he runs into a Vampire. Well, he didn’t when he ran into Kuro, but that was something entirely different.

Kuro shifts his weight, and hops onto Mahiru’s head. “Why are you fidgeting so much?”

Mahiru looks down and sees his hand, twisting his wristband around and around. He is fidgeting a lot, and there is a reason for it. With a deep breath, he sighs and says,

“I’m debating on telling Misono about that Vampire we just met.” He glances at the cat on his shoulder and continues down the sidewalk.

“You want to tell the Hunter that you found one of us? Seriously?” Kuro sighs. “You’re so stupid, Mahiru.”

“What? You don’t even like him! And I have no clue where Misono is. Telling him I ran into an evil Vampire might convince him to come find me.”

“Lawless isn’t evil. Obnoxious and holding a grudge, but not evil.” Kuro yawns and stretches his paws. “Don’t tell the Hunter. That’s the last thing you should do.”

Mahiru sighs. “You’re probably right. But, Kuro, what am I supposed to do?”

“Nothing. You don’t have to do anything.” Kuro pauses. “That’s the problem with you; you always try to get involved in things you don’t have to get involved in. The Servamp family has mostly gotten over our strife, and you can’t force Lawless to get along with me. Stop trying to solve problems that you don’t have to solve.”

Once again, Kuro is probably right, but Mahiru can’t help it. That’s just how he is; he always wants to help, even when he probably doesn’t have to.

“Where’s Sakuya, then?” Mahiru says at last. “I wanna find him, at least. He’s my best friend.”

“I don’t know.” Kuro shuts his eyes, and eventually crawls down Mahiru’s back and hops into his bag. “I’m taking a nap.”

“Suit yourself.” Mahiru says with another heavy sigh. He speeds up his walking pace, doing everything he can to find Sakuya as quickly as possible. Though, with the size of town and the lack of knowledge, finding Sakuya might turn out to be impossible.

“You know what?” Mahiru looks around again. “I’m going to the store, and I’m going to buy those pencils before I forget, and nothing better interrupt me this time.”

Kuro doesn't answer, mostly because he’s already fallen fast asleep inside of Mahiru’s bag, but the lack of an answer doesn’t trouble Mahiru in the slightest. He’s talked to himself before; in fact, talking to yourself doesn’t mean you’re crazy at all. Talking to yourself is perfectly healthy, as far as Mahiru knows.

The store isn’t far at all from where Mahiru is, and he gets there rather quickly. He wanders up and down the isles, looking at the school supplies, until at last he finds that twenty-pack of pencils, those notebooks, even that planner he wanted, since his old planner is now completely full of obligations he had throughout the school year.

The checkout line is pretty long. That’s almost relieving. He stands there, perfectly content with having to wait to buy his purchases. The longer he’s stuck in here, the less time he has to be out and about and frantically looking for people that he probably shouldn’t be looking for. Though, he does kind of wish he had ran into Sakuya in here. This place is full of people; Sakuya would be acting pretty normal, and he certainly wouldn’t be able to attack…

No! Why is he thinking this about his best friend!? Sakuya attacked him once, sure, but Sakuya is smarter than that now. He wouldn’t dare attack Mahiru now that he knows Mahiru still cares about him. Right?

Instead of Sakuya, let’s think about Ryuusei and Koyuki. That’s more like it. Two people that Mahiru knows for a fact aren’t Vampires. Two people that are perfectly human, that Mahiru would consider his friends, two people that are nice, that have hung out with Mahiru since middle school.

Thinking about them makes this whole Vampire thing feel completely foreign. Mahiru gets to the front of the checkout line and Mahiru buys his things. He continues thinking about Ryuusei and Koyuki, trying to forget of Kuro’s existence, Misono’s, Sakuya’s, anyone involved in this Vampire mess, he tries to forget about. He just wants a minute, a single minute of feeling normal again. Apparently, that’s too much to ask.

Sure, everything inside of the store is fine, but the moment he gets outside, his wrists are grabbed.

“Mahiru!”

Mahiru almost screams, until he looks down. Two little children are standing outside of the store, their red eyes wide with fear, their mouths hanging open, exposing their fangs. Their pale, cold hands are clutching at his wrists so tightly that no human child could possibly grab that firmly.

He recognizes them as All of Love’s subclass, Yuri and Mary.

“Help us!” they’re near tears, borderline sobbing.

Before he can say anything, they run. They sprint down the street, full speed ahead, dragging him so fast that he can barely keep up.

“Woah, woah! What’s going on!?” He shouts.

The sprinting had woken Kuro, whose head is now poking out of the bag he was just sleeping in. “This can’t be good…” he mumbles.

“All of Love!” one of them, Mahiru isn’t sure which, shouts at the top of her lungs. “He’s trying to kill Hugh!”

“What!?” Mahiru shouts.

“The Hunter! The Hunter found him!” the other one, Mahiru still doesn’t know which is which, responds. “The Hunter is going after Hugh, and All of Love can’t do anything to stop him!”

They’re sprinting so fast that Mahiru feels like his lungs, or his legs, or his heart much just give out at any moment. This is the last thing he expected when he stepped out of the supermarket. Then again, who would expect two little Vampire children to grab you and drag you away saying that their Creator is trying to kill his brother?

Yeah, none of this makes any sense at all.

Mahiru sees a car parked on the side of the road. Someone is inside of it, reading what looks like a pornographic magazine. However, the children drag him right by the car, and right up the road toward White Water Hot Springs.

They drag him inside, right past the front desk lady, who looks so confused that she can’t even begin to process what just ran by her. They run down the hallway, run for what feels like ages, until they stop outside of a room, banging on the door as loudly as they can.

“ALL OF LOVE! ALL OF LOVE!” The kids shout.

It’s only after they slam on the door a few times that they notice it’s cracked open. The twins fling it open all the way and sprint inside, sprint right over to their Servamp. Mahiru stares for a moment in complete shock.

There’s a puddle of blood on the floor. All of Love - no, Snowlily - is kneeling there, cradling Misono in his arms. The latter is unconscious, out cold by the looks of it, by the presence of blood on his forehead. Snowlily himself has his head down, and his eyes shut, and looks like he’s about ready to start crying at any moment.

“All of Love,” one of the twins says.

He doesn’t look up. It’s like he’s stuck that way, frozen, dead, like he’s a statue that can’t be moved. Misono himself looks much the same, only instead of a cold hard statue, he's a limp ragdoll, laying there in his Servamp’s arms much in the same way a Raggedy Anne would lay in the arms of a little girl.

“All of Love,” Kuro tries.

Still nothing, he still won’t move.

Mahiru walks over to him and kneels beside him, gently touching his shoulder.

He instantly tenses, like he didn’t know anyone was there. His eyes open and his head shoots up, though he turns to look at Mahiru at a noticeably slow speed. Once his eyes meet the boys, Mahiru sees nothing but pure pain and regret.

“I should kill him,” Snowlily says. “I should kill Misono right now, while he’s unconscious. He wouldn’t feel a thing. It would be over before he even knew what hit him.”

Mahiru doesn’t say a word, and neither does Kuro.

“I should, but… I just can’t.” He lowers his head again. “He’s… I… am I too sympathetic, Sleepy Ash? Old Child said I was.”

“There’s no such thing,” Kuro answers.

“Is there?” He stares down at the unconscious little boy in his arms. “I… I love him, Sleepy Ash. It’s horrible of me, but… I love him. This, this poor little boy. He’s just so full of grief and anger…”

Grief and anger. Mahiru knows that Misono holds a grudge against Vampires, he knows that the entire Alicein family despises them because of something that happened a long time ago, something that Tsubaki caused, but he doesn’t know why it bothers Misono so much. Why does Misono hate Vampires? What’s his personal reason?

“Hey,” Mahiru says. “I… what actually happened to him?”

Snowlily stares at Mahiru. “You don’t know about the billionaire who got murdered a few years ago?”

“I mean, I heard about it, but…” Mahiru looks at Misono, then at Snowlily, and finally makes the connection. “That was his father… Mikuni said something about thinking they got Misono when they got his father..."

“That was indeed his father.” Snowlily takes a breath. “The woman who got killed in the same house years before that was his mother. Mikuni, his brother, you met him. He formed a contract with Doubt Doubt of Envy and was shunned out of the family. Misono, this poor little boy, lost his entire family to our kind, and most of his servants as well. He's been through more than that, too."

Mahiru stares down at Misono in wonder. His entire family, lost to Vampires. Mahiru knows what it’s like to lose your family. His parents…

“I’ve lost my parents,” Mahiru says. “I know what it’s like to lose someone you care about. You look for anyone you can to blame.”

“He does have someone to blame. He has me to blame. He has Doubt Doubt to blame. But because the Alicein family hates Vampires, he’s putting the blame on all of us.” Snowlily shakes his head. “I can’t believe how close he came to killing Old Child. If not for Old Child’s Eve…”

“Tetsu saved him?”

“He saved Hugh, yes. Tetsu wasn't about to sit back and watch his Servamp die.” Snowlily swallows. “Mahiru, I have to ask you something.”

“Yeah?”

There’s silence. Nothing but stone cold silence for a good thirty seconds. Mahiru doesn’t bother asking a second time. He waits, and sure enough, Snowlily speaks again:

“Please… help me.”

Mahiru blinks. “Uh…”

“Help me, and help Misono.” Snowlily looks up at him. “You’re new to this whole Vampire thing, but that might not be so bad. Misono might finally see the truth if you… help him.”

After a moment of stunned silence, Mahiru shuts his eyes and nods. “Yeah. I’ll help as much as I can.”

“Good.”

Silence follows as they stare the unconscious form of Misono, still laying on Snowlily’s lap.

After a few moments, Misono stirs. Snowlily gasps, holding his arms up like he can't be touching him if he's awake. The boy barely moves to look at Mahiru.

"Shirota..." he says.

Mahiru stares down at him. "Misono." 

He's clearly in pain. Mahiru knows that just by looking at him. But right now, because of that pain, he's immobile. His revolver is on the ground just out of his reach, and he's trapped in his Servamp's arms. There's blood coming from his forehead, still. What had happened to him?

He tried to kill a Vampire. That's what happened. He tried to kill a Vampire, and he lost.

"Why did you try to kill Hugh?" Mahiru asks. "He's just a kid."

"He's not... just a kid... he's hundreds of years old." Misono clutches his forehead, trying to sit up. "And he got in the way before I could kill... ugh..."

Snowlily holds him down. "Master, please don't; you're injured." 

"I thought we could get along, Misono," Mahiru stares at him in disbelief. "I thought we were friends."

"We're not friends. You don't know anything about me." Misono's anger makes him more alert, and he tries to get up again, only for his Servamp to keep him held down. "You don't know anything about what I went through."

"I know Vampires killed your family. I lost my family, too, Misono, and you don't see me going around trying to kill anyone who drives because they got killed in a car accident."

"You still don't get it. You don't understand me. You might’ve lost your family, but were they killed by bloodthirsty monsters? Were you forced to hide out while your father was murdered right outside the door? Are you stuck in a lifelong contract with the Vampire that killed your own father? Did your brother form a contract with the Vampire that killed your mother and then run away, leaving you there all alone?" Misono stops for a breath, his voice growing louder with each sentence. "Were you raised by your chauffeur and your maids and your butlers!? Were you small and sickly and stuck in a wheelchair for several years of your life!? Did you have to train every single day and push yourself until you couldn’t breathe just to get strong enough to walk up the stairs without help!? DO YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT ANYTHING I WENT THROUGH!?"

Mahiru is stunned as Misono falls limp again, clutching at his aching head and groaning in agony. Snowlily rests his hand on his back, though Misono doesn't seem to care. He's completely ignoring his Vampire, which is somewhat relieving.

"Misono..." Mahiru stops, not even sure what to say. He chooses his next words carefully. "I just want to help you."

"You're not here to help me. You're here to stop me." 

"Not help you kill Vampires. Help you get better, get past your grief. I want to be your friend." Mahiru takes a breath. "But if you don't want my help, then I guess... I guess we'll have to fight against each other."

He turns to leave. Misono suddenly holds out his hand. "Shirota, wait."

"Hmm?" Mahiru looks back down at him. "What?"

"I'm... I'm sorry. Please don't hate me."

_I’m sorry. Please don’t hate me._

Before Mahiru can say anything, Kuro drags him out of the room, slamming the door shut behind them.

“Kuro, we can’t just leave him!” Mahiru exclaims. "He just said that he-"

“Yeah, we can.” Kuro starts walking down the hallway. "And who cares what he said?"

“Turn around! Now! I’m not done talking to you!”

Kuro looks over his shoulder, a blank stare on his face. “All of Love is in there to take care of him, and Mahiru - he’s a Vampire Hunter. He doesn’t want you to hate him, but he hates me. Who matters more: the kid you barely know that you just met a few days ago, or the Vampire you’re stuck in a lifelong contract with?”

“I just met you a few days ago, too.”

“Yeah, but we’re stuck together for life. We should probably get along and not try to kill each other.” Kuro shuts his eyes and sighs. “Besides, I wanna find Old Child. I feel like he’s way worse than Misono is right now.”

Mahiru can’t argue with that. “Alright. Let’s go.”

With that, they go down the hallway. They don’t have to go very far, though, before Kuro perks up and feels Old Child’s presence. He frantically knocks on the door.

“Old Child! It’s Sleepy Ash!” He yells.

Mahiru blinks. Kuro, shouting? This is the first time he’s heard it. And he sounds genuinely worried.

The door is opened by Tetsu, who looks pretty calm. Though, if you look deep enough into his eyes, you can see how relieved he is.

“Hugh is doing alright,” he says. “He’s just hurt pretty bad. I had to dig a… a…”

“Bullet,” Hugh says.

“Yeah, that. I had to dig a bullet out of his arm, but he’s okay now.”

“I’m not completely okay yet,” Hugh says, sitting up. He’s in a bed that looks comically big for him, and a blanket is covering his lower half. “I’m not completely regenerated.”

“Regenerated?” Kuro stares at him. “What happened to you?”

“I got my leg cut off. No biggie.”

“WHAT!?” Mahiru shouts.

“Don’t worry about it,” Hugh looks at Mahiru. “The pain is gone, and Vampires can lose body parts and regenerate them no problem: arms, legs, feet, fingers, anything like that we can just grow back. It takes a while depending on which part you lose, though. Legs take pretty long. Luckily I’m really small, so it doesn’t take more than a few hours.”

Mahiru blinks in wonder. He learns more about these weird creatures every day, it seems. “Okay… so you’ll be fine, right?”

“Yeah. If not for Tetsu, though, I would’ve been a goner.” Hugh looks at his Eve, actually looking grateful. “I picked the best Eve in the world, though. He busted right in there and saved me. Even when that Hunter had a gun pointed at him he still ran right at him and protected me.”

Mahiru looks up at Tetsu. “You really are a good Eve, aren’t you?”

“Hugh’s done a lot for me.” Tetsu looks down at his Servamp. “It’s honestly all I can do to pay him back.”

Mahiru notices the bandage wrapped around Tetsu’s neck. “What’s that from? Is that from Misono?”

“No,” Tetsu looks at Mahiru. “It’s from Hugh.”

“I need blood to regenerate,” Hugh explains.

“Oh. Okay.” Mahiru sighs and shakes his head. “I just… I’m still not used to the whole ‘Vampires’ and ‘immortal’ and ‘blood drinking’ thing.”

“You get used to it pretty fast,” Tetsu tells him.

Mahiru sighs. “I just wish Misono could understand that Vampires aren’t bad.”

“Some are,” Hugh says. “Some subclass are uncontrollable. Some Servamps are so vengeful that they just turn into savages. Not every Vampire is good, just like not every Vampire is bad.”

“Yeah.”

Mahiru then turns to Tetsu, who is just watching Hugh with a concerned look on his face.

“What is it?” Mahiru asks.

“I just… I hope nothing bad happens.” Tetsu takes a breath. “I don’t want Hugh to get hurt again.”

Mahiru looks at Kuro, trying to imagine him getting hurt. He remembers the way Kuro reacted to getting sprayed with holy water and imagines that, only five hundred times worse.

“I don’t want Kuro to get hurt, either,” Mahiru says.

“What can we do?” Tetsu stares at him. “Is there anything we can do?”

Mahiru remembers Misono’s words: _I’m sorry. Please don't hate me._

He can feel sympathy, empathy, whatever it is. He can feel regret, he can feel bad about doing things that he didn’t mean to do. However, he can only feel that way when he does something like that to a human. To him, humans and Vampires are nothing alike at all.

But how can they use that?

“I don’t know, Tetsu,” Mahiru says. “I honestly don’t know.”

Neither of them say anything else. They just look at their Servamps and listen to them talking, all the while worrying about what could happen if Misono decides to try this whole attack again.

“You got your leg cut off.” Kuro stares at Hugh in wonder. “How did that happen?"

"It was All of Love," Hugh answers. 

"So?"

“Sleepy Ash, think about it,” Hugh stares at him, “If your little brother, one you love dearly, came up to you and said he didn’t have a choice and that he was sorry, and you were wounded by that Hunter already, what would you do?”

“Switch forms and hide.”

“I couldn’t do that. Even if I did switch forms, I couldn’t have moved. I was wounded, Sleepy Ash.”

“How did you get wounded?”

“I was dodging All of Love’s attacks, and the Hunter got sick of waiting and fired a bullet at me.”

“Why were you dodging? Why didn’t you fight back?”

Hugh shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Listen, Sleepy Ash: would you want to break All of Love for this?”

“I’m not saying ‘break him’. I’m saying wound him.”

“Would you want to hurt him at all?”

Kuro falls silent. All of Love. The sweetest of the seven, though he’s definitely not innocent. He's kindhearted. He loves everyone and everything. He takes in orphans, for crying out loud. If anyone wants to hurt him, they have something severely wrong with their brain.

“No,” Kuro says at last. “I wouldn’t.”

“Exactly. I didn’t want to hurt him, either. I was trying to be defensive and passive, but it just didn’t work.” Hugh sighs. “I want to get him out of it, but he won’t let me kill his Eve. He cares way too much about that Hunter.”

“I say kill the Hunter anyway, even if he cares about him.”

“He won’t let me. He thinks he can get through to him.”

Kuro rolls his eyes. “Of course he does.”

Mahiru stares. _Maybe he can’t, but maybe I can._ He thinks that, but he doesn’t dare say it out loud. Being caught in the middle of this two-sided fight is hard enough with Misono thinking he’s a ‘Vampire sympathizer’, but the last thing he wants is for the Vampires to think he’s a Hunter sympathizer as well.

“It’s getting there,” Hugh says, lifting up the blanket to check on his regenerating leg. “Still nowhere close to being finished, but it’s starting to regenerate a bit faster now.”

“Good,” Kuro stares at him, and then looks at Mahiru. “Can we stay here?”

“For how long?” Mahiru asks.

“Until Hugh’s done regenerating.”

Mahiru is about to ask how long that will take, but then he sees the look on Kuro’s face. He doesn’t want to stay because he doesn’t feel like moving. No, he wants to say because he’s worried about his brother.

Mahiru cracks a smile. “Yeah, I think we can do that, as long as Tetsu and Hugh don’t have a problem with it.”

“I don’t,” Hugh says. “Tetsu?”

“Whatever Hugh says,” Tetsu responds. “It doesn’t matter to me. The more people that stay here, the better it is for me.”

Mahiru sits down on the edge of the bed with them. The conversation lulls, and Mahiru decides to pull out an old party game he remembers him and his friends playing.

“It’s called Never Have I Ever,” Mahiru says. “Here’s how you play…”

They spend a good few hours playing that, and Mahiru is having so much fun and laughing that he completely forgets about Misono and Snowlily.

Though, they’re still there. Both of them are still in that other room, with Misono on the ground, clutching his head and sobbing. With Snowlily, staring down at him sympathetically, though his sympathy does nothing for the poor human boy. Besides, his head isn’t the only thing that’s hurting.

His heart is hurting. Mahiru does hate him. Why does Misono always do this? Someone says they want to help, someone says they want to get him through his grief, and yet it seems like he never wants to get over losing his father. He won’t get over it, he thinks, not until that Vampire is dead.

But now that Vampire is stuck with him for life, unless Misono decides to break it. But he can’t break it, because breaking that Vampire means breaking that pocketwatch, and if he breaks that pocketwatch, he loses the most important object in the world to him, the one that ticks like his father’s eternal heartbeat. The one that’s supposed to protect him from Vampires, and yet, it’s now the one that seals him to a Vampire. To _the_ Vampire that he wanted to kill.

Life just hates working out. It’s the Alicein family curse. Vampires ruin everything, and the Vampire that ruins everything is the one that can never die. It’s been the same Vampire every time, the one that’s been stalking them since it first arrived in this town. That same Vampire, the Servamp of Lust, has been watching them for years, probably for decades, according to Misono’s father in his old journal.

That journal is the other thing that ties Misono back to his father, but for some reason, it doesn’t feel like it matters nearly as much as that pocketwatch. Nothing matters more than that pocketwatch.

Misono’s forces his eyes to open, and he sees that pocketwatch dangling right in front of his vision. The Vampire had fallen forward, and is now laying its head on him, but that’s the least of his concerns. He can see that watch, now. He watches as the hands move. He can faintly hear it ticking from where he is, faintly hearing his father’s heart beating through it. He can see the face, though just barely with all the shadows blocking it.

He can hear crying, too.

Crying that’s coming from the Vampire wearing it.

“I’m sorry,” it whimpers. “I’m sorry.”

Is it apologizing to him? Why is it saying sorry?

Is it saying sorry for everything? Or for one specific thing?

God, Misono hates the phrase “I’m sorry”. If it’s said with nothing else attached to it, nobody knows if you mean it or not, what you mean it for, who you’re saying it too, why you’re saying it. It’s the worst phrase in the world and Misono would love it if it would just go away forever and be replaced with something more sincere.

“I’m so, so sorry.”

Misono’s head hurts enough without having to think about what this Vampire means by its cryptic phrases. He shuts his eyes again, listening to the faint ticking of the pocketwatch. A moment later and he feels as something leaves his pocket: his cell phone.

There’s no password on it, as Misono has never been sure how to set one. He listens as the Vampire taps a few buttons, clicks the screen a few times, and suddenly the phone is on speaker.

“Master?” Dodo’s voice comes through. “What is it?”

“Dodo…” Misono says, grunting in pain.

He can suddenly feel Dodo's concern through the phone. “Master, what’s wrong?”

“It… it won, Dodo. Please… come help me.”

“I’m on my way.”

The call ends, and Misono quietly, faintly, says, “Thanks, Snowlily.”

The Vampire gasps. “Uh… you’re welcome, master.”

“Switch forms. I can’t let Dodo see you.”

“Yes, master.”

The Vampire vanishes, replaced with that pink and black butterfly, who lands in front of Misono. The boy stares at its wings for a bit, watching as they gently move up and down.

Something about it is a bit relaxing, peaceful, tranquil. It’s almost nice, having that butterfly right there after this horrific incident. Vampires always ruin everything, but this butterfly doesn’t seem to be ruining anything. It's just a pretty insect, gentle, delicate and harmless.

Of course, that doesn’t change what the Vampire it is did to Misono’s family, what it did to Misono’s father. It’s still evil, but right now… right now it’s almost comforting, in a strange way, just watching those wings move. It’s calm, gentle, and the movement is nothing too intense. It’s just something to focus on while he waits for Dodo, something to keep him awake, but not something to shock him into alertness.

It doesn’t make sense, Misono knows it doesn’t, but he can’t help but feel at ease as he watches those wings move.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nothing much to say here. I hope you enjoyed. See you in the next one.


	13. Uncertainty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misono is taken to the hospital.  
> Mahiru thinks he can help, somehow. At leasts, he hopes he can.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while, but here's the next chapter! I hope you enjoy!

“Oh my God!”

That’s Dodo’s voice. He rushes over and helps Misono into a sitting position, staring at the crusted blood on his forehead and attempting to see how deep that gash is. If he has to take Misono to the hospital…

“What happened?” Dodo asks him.

“I tried to kill that Vampire.” Misono winces, and covers his forehead with his hand, leaning on his knees. “Then it’s Eve showed up.”

“It’s Eve?”

“Yeah. It has an Eve…” Misono lets out a groan of pain. “The kid had a coffin…”

Dodo blinks. “Okay, yeah, you probably need a hospital.”

“I’m not kidding, Dodo. The weapons, remember? Servamps can give their Eve a weapon, called a Lead. The kid’s Lead was a coffin.”

“Why was it a coffin?”

“I don’t know! Ugh, my head!”

Dodo stares at him for a little bit longer before helping him to his feet. “I’ll get you… wait, is that a good idea? I think a car ride might just make it worse.”

“I got a room here, if you think I should just rest a bit.”

“I’m not sure if you should rest or if I should take you to the hospital. Let me see your forehead.”

Misono moves his hand, holding his hair back. Dodo’s not a doctor, but even he can tell that gash in Misono’s forehead could easily have given him a concussion, and based on the way Misono keeps moaning and groaning, he probably does have a concussion.

“Yeah, you need a hospital. Come on: I’ll carry you out of here.”

“I can walk, Dodo. It’s not that bad. Just escort me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’m sure.”

This entire time, Snowlily is fluttering around, trying to stay out of Dodo’s sight. Sure, a butterfly on its own isn’t suspicious, but a pink and black one that looks nothing like any average butterfly fluttering around a hotel room might raise some eyebrows. Not to mention, Dodo is indirectly an Alicein, and he certainly knows enough about Vampires to recognize one, even if it’s in its animal form.

Poor Misono… Snowlily wishes he could switch forms and carry him, but he can’t. He has to settle for just fluttering around, trying to hide from Dodo, and hoping that he can stay close enough to his Eve.

The moment Misono stands, he immediately tips sideways and almost falls. Dodo is quick to catch him, supporting Misono with his arm and allowing the boy to lean on him. It’s a long process, getting him out of the room and into the hallway, but once it finally happens, Misono falls against the wall, panting like those few steps took everything out of him.

“Master,” Dodo stares at him. “Just let me carry you.”

“No… I’m fine.” Misono forces himself to stand again, despite his vision starting to blur. “I’m fine, Dodo… don’t worry about it.”

He tries to walk. He stumbles forward again, and Dodo is barely able to catch him in time. “Master, you’re not fine.”

Misono starts giggling, his concussion seriously messing with his brain. “I’m… I’m _fine,_ Dodo… don’t worry about me.”

Dodo rolls his eyes, and forces Misono to lean on his arm again.

They make it to the parking lot, where a large group of people are currently standing. The building had been evacuated due to the gunshots, and people still aren’t allowed back inside yet because of it. Staff members are trying to keep everyone calm and together, though it’s hard to hear them over the sheer amount of people asking what’s going on, and if everyone’s okay, and if those were gunshots, and every other question they can think of.

Once people see the injured boy, the immediate conclusion they jump to is that he’s the victim. People are shouting at him, shouting at Dodo, asking if he’s okay and if the shooter is still in there and what’s going on?

The amount of questions, the amount of yelling… Misono’s head hurts bad enough without the added stress, and the voices are only making it worse. He groans and shuts his eyes, wishing he could massage his temples. He can’t, however, because he needs to cling to Dodo just to stay upright.

“Master, please, let me carry you,” Dodo asks again.

Misono groans. “If you even _try_ to pick me up, I will pull my gun on you.”

“Noted.”

Just get to the car. That’s all Misono wants. Just to get to the car and to get out of here and forget about yet another epic failure of trying to slaughter a Vampire. They are hard to kill: the Alicein family got that one right, especially when the ones you’re trying to kill are the Seven True Vampires, the ones that are meant to never die, the ones that were specifically designed to be unkillable.

“Failed, huh?”

That voice.

Misono shoves Dodo off him, only to fall to the ground a second later. Dodo looks around, too, unable to see what Misono did. The only thing he can see is a fox, which is currently sprinting across the parking lot, heading most likely for the woods way over there. Though, that fox isn’t a normal fox.

For one thing, most normal foxes only have one tail.

Dodo dives for Misono and helps him back up. “What happened? What was that?”

“Did you hear that voice?” Misono asks him, clinging to Dodo’s shirt and forcing himself to stand upright.

“Yeah. What was that?” Dodo looks around.

Misono points at the fox. “I know that fox… That fox…”

That’s all he can say before his head hurts too badly. He lets out a loud groan and clutches at his skull. Dodo gives up at asking him questions, and leads him to the car. He doesn’t even notice the butterfly fluttering around his head, attempting to stay as close to Misono as possible. Even if he did notice, he probably wouldn’t care. His master is more important.

* * *

 

“I’m all better now.” Hugh is now standing up on the bed, smiling. “See? My leg’s as good as new.”

Mahiru, Tetsu, even Kuro all look at Hugh, with joy and relief. “Thank goodness,” Mahiru says. “I was getting worried there during our game.”

“I was, too,” Tetsu checks Hugh’s leg, just to make sure it’s actually alright. “But yeah, it looks fine.”

“It feels fine. It is fine.” Hugh grins. “And hopefully that Hunter will know better than to go after me again.”

“Yeah, seriously.” Kuro sighs. “He had no clue what he was up against, going against the second strongest of us seven.”

The last thing Mahiru wants to talk about is Misono. He would rather go back to playing Never Have I Ever and waiting for Hugh to heal. There’s something about the thought of possibly getting through to Misono that seems possible, yet, it also seems impossible given how intent Misono is on killing the Servamps.

Does he sound too much like All of Love, thinking that he can kill them? Is that a bad thing to think? Does he sound naive, clueless, does he sound like he doesn’t know what he’s talking about? Then again, he sounds the same to Misono, right? Thinking that Vampires can feel emotions for humans, thinking that they can empathize with mortals.

He should call Misono. He should tell him that he forgives him. But no he shouldn’t. He shouldn’t tell Misono that, because he doesn’t know if it’s true or not.

Mahiru doesn’t know what he should do, and honestly, he doesn’t want to think about it. He just wants this whole mess to be over with already, but it doesn't seem like that’s going to happen anytime soon. In fact, it doesn’t seem like it will happen at all. This war will never be done, his stress will never go away, his work is never over.

“He seriously thinks he can get through to that Hunter.” Hugh shakes his head. “That’s just All of Love, though. So sweet, so caring, honestly my favorite brother.”

“I’m right here, Hugh.” Kuro sighs. “But yeah, I get what you mean. All of Love is the kindest and most forgiving, isn’t he?”

“He’s a sweetheart, but he can’t get through to that Hunter. No Vampire can.” Hugh wraps his cape around himself.

Mahiru takes a breath. Now is his chance. “A Vampire can’t get through to him, but maybe a human can.”

The Servamps and Tetsu look over at Mahiru. Tetsu with that blank stare he always has, Kuro with that bored expression… Hugh is the only one with a look that actually matters, and his look is one of doubt and uncertainty.

“You?” He asks this as though Mahiru is a Vampire. “You think you can get through to the Hunter?”

“I’m a human; it’s worth a shot.” Mahiru sighs. “Besides, when I was leaving the room, he said something like, ‘I’m sorry, please don’t hate me’ because I told him I just wanted to be his friend and help. I think he wants a friend, wants someone to confide in. Maybe if he had that, he wouldn’t hold such an intense grudge. After all, I know what it’s like to lose someone you care about.”

Hugh seems to ponder this. Mahiru feels a little bit weird, telling this to a little kid, acting like he needs a little kid’s permission to act. However, Hugh isn’t a little kid. He’s a Vampire, one that’s been alive for at least a hundred years, if not more.

“You do?” Hugh questions.

“I lost my parents. I’m an only child. The person taking care of me is my uncle.” He pauses, and then makes a realization. “I have more people in my life than Misono does. He needs a friend, he needs one more than anything. I have friends, I have someone to confide in. Misono doesn’t have that.”

Hugh is silent, willing Mahiru to go on.

“I can relate to him more than you all can. I’m human. He can feel a connection to me, and he actually feels like I can empathize with him.” Mahiru stares at Hugh. “Please, don’t kill Misono right away. Let me at least try to reason with him first. Be merciful and forgiving. Be like All of Love.”

At the mention of All of Love, Hugh’s gaze softens. He ponders even more, thinks as much as he can. All of Love seems to be clouding his judgement, and at last he speaks.

“Alright. Go ahead. Try to get through to that Hunter. But when it doesn’t work, don’t expect me to show him any sort of mercy or forgiveness.” He narrows his eyes. “He’s hurting my family. That’s unforgivable.”

“Speaking of family,” Kuro speaks. “You’ll never guess who Mahiru and I ran into earlier.”

“Who?” Hugh asks.

Mahiru blinks. In all of his confusion, in all of this mess, he had completely forgotten about running into-

“Lawless.”

“Lawless!?” Hugh exclaims. “You mean he’s back around? I thought for sure he would still be all over the world.”

“He’s back, and he’s got a new Eve.”

“Another one?” Hugh shakes his head. “Yikes.”

“An angel. At least, some delusional person who thinks he’s an angel, apparently.” Kuro meets Hugh’s eyes. “He always finds the weirdest ones, doesn’t he?”

“The ones he thinks are the most interesting. The longer he can go without getting bored, the longer the Eve gets to live.”

Mahiru blinks. “Excuse me, what?”

“Lawless has a habit of killing his Eves when he gets bored of them,” Hugh explains. “He’s been all over the world. I’m pretty sure he’s had the most Eves out of any of us.”

“I wouldn’t know. I don’t keep track of that sort of thing.” Kuro sighs. “All I know is Mahiru is my one and only Eve. I’m never getting another one after this.”

“You say that, Sleepy Ash, but I doubt that's true.”

Should he tell Misono? That’s what Mahiru is wondering. Should Misono know that there’s another Servamp running around? Should he? Probably not… That’s the last thing Mahiru should tell him. In fact, Mahiru shouldn’t even talk about Vampires around Misono ever again. That would be the first step in fixing Misono’s grudge and fixing Misono’s mental instability.

He should call him, though. He should ask if he’s alright. He should show Misono some care, some friendly affection. Maybe that would make him happier, and if he’s happier, if he gets past his grief, maybe his grudge would go away.

Mahiru pulls out his cell phone.

“What are you doing?” Hugh asks him.

“Calling Misono.” At the fear in Hugh’s eyes, Mahiru quickly adds, “Just to ask if he’s okay and show him a bit of friendship.”

Hugh nods. “Good idea. Just don’t bring up Vampires.”

“I won’t’ don’t worry.”

* * *

 

“Master, you can’t get up yet.”

“I hate hospitals!” Misono is sitting up in the hospital bed, attempting to get up and walk right out of the room. He had just gotten there less than a few minutes ago and already he wanted to leave. If not for Dodo grabbing his shoulders and holding him down, he would’ve gotten up already.

“You have a concussion! You have to stay in bed!” Dodo is telling him over and over again.

“That fox, Dodo! That two-tailed fox! I know that fox! It’s one of the True Vampires!”

“I have read every last one of your father’s journals and I can _guarantee_ you that of the Seven True Vampires, none of them are a fox.”

“There isn’t just seven, Dodo! There’s eight! I ran into the eighth!”

“Master, please, you’re delirious. Your concussion is making you-”

“I KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT, DODO!”

Misono shoves Dodo off him and attempts to throw himself out of bed. The moment he stands, he gets a head rush so bad that he falls right to the floor, letting out a loud groan as he does so. Not just a groan, a scream. One of pain and frustration. He’s sick of Vampires getting away, he’s sick of getting hurt, and most of all, he’s sick of being told he can’t do things.

“Master, please, get back into bed!” Dodo grabs him and heaves him upright, forcing him to lay back down. “I get this is bugging you to no end, but please just-”

“You don’t get it, Dodo.”

“Maybe I don’t, but the last thing your father would want is for you to accidentally kill yourself trying to avenge him.” Dodo falls into a chair beside the bed, sighing heavily.

Misono stares at the small wardrobe across the room. “Are my clothes in there?”

“Yeah.”

“Where’s my gun?”

“They confiscated it.”

“What?!” Misono sits up again, his head throbbing in opposition to his quick movement. “They can’t do that!”

“Yes, they can.”

“Will I get it back!?”

“Once they find out you’re an Alicein, yeah.”

Misono leans back. Dodo takes the hint and touches the button on the side of the bed, lifting it up until it’s less of a bed and more of a strange-looking chair, so Misono can sit close to upright without the added effort of supporting himself.

“Is there a… nevermind.” Misono sighs. “It’s not a good idea to read right now anyway.”

His master looks upset, and Dodo knows why. Misono hates hospitals, and he especially hates ending up in one because he failed at doing something, whether that be falling while trying to get up the stairs or losing to a Vampire.

He has his father’s determination, that’s for sure.

There’s a bout of silence, and then Misono’s cell phone begins to ring. The sound comes from the wardrobe, and Dodo quickly gets up to grab it. He starts feeling around in the pockets of Misono’s clothing for it.

He then realizes that something is missing, something that Misono always carries around with him everywhere.

“Uh…” should he tell him? No, Dodo decides, he shouldn’t. Misono already has a concussion and a bunch of stress. The last thing he needs is to hear that his pocketwatch isn’t where it should be. “Uh, not here, uh… here it is.”

He grabs the cell phone and hands it to Misono, who quickly answers it.

“Hello?” he says.

“Hi, Misono, it’s… it’s Shirota. Shirota Mahiru.”

“Shirota…” Misono takes a breath. “What is it? Did you see another Vampire?”

“No.” He quickly says. “I just… I just wanted to know if you were okay, and if you were… if you left the resort yet.”

“Yeah. My chauffeur came and got me. I’m in the hospital. I have a concussion, but I’m fine other than that.” Misono winces in pain, leaning forward gently, trying to keep the pressure in his head from becoming overwhelming. “Why are you wondering if I’m okay?”

“I care about you, Misono. We’re friends.”

 _Friends?_ Misono blinks. “You… you think we’re friends?”

“Yeah.” he then takes a breath. “I also just… I wanted to say that I forgive you, for blowing up at me and saying I don’t understand. You’re right, I don’t, but… I do know what it’s like to lose someone you care about. You just want someone there to confide in, someone who just… someone who just cares about you and lets you know that it’s okay to feel things. I… I want to be that person for you. You need that person more than anything.”

Misono swallows. “Shirota… I’m fine, Shirota. I have my servants to confide in.”

“Servants are great and all, but… you don’t need servants. You need a friend.”

 _Friend._ That word, again. Misono has no clue how to react to it. After a moment of wondering what the hell he should say, he finally speaks.

“Tha… thanks, Shirota. Thank you.”

Mahiru’s smile can be heard in his words. “You’re welcome, Misono. And you can call me Mahiru.”

“Mahiru…” He can’t hold back his own smile. “Thank you, Mahiru. Is that all?”

“Yeah, pretty much. Unless you want to keep talking.”

Misono does. He does want to keep talking. But what would he talk about? 

"It's fine. I should probably rest anyway." Misono doesn't want to say that, but he says it anyway.

"Oh, okay. Talk to you later?"

"Yeah. Sure."

"Okay. Goodbye."

"Goodbye."

He hangs up the phone and sighs, leaning back in his hospital bed. Someone had actually called him a friend. Someone had asked if he was okay, someone other than the servants. Someone who he barely even knows, someone who it seems like he shouldn't even be talking to, because he doesn't live with him or anything like that. A friend, Mahiru had called him.

He wishes he had gotten himself a friend sooner. Imagine what that would've been like. Imagine going to school and meeting up with the same person every day, because you like that person. Imagine calling them late at night and talking about nothing at all.

Imagine if Misono would have been a normal kid, born into a normal family. Oh, what might have been.

Of course, that's the Alicein family curse: Vampires always ruin everything.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed! See you in the next one.


	14. Exhausting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vampires ruin everything.  
> This whole "Vampire" thing is driving everyone crazy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a little chapter. The plot will really kick up again next time. I hope you enjoy it!

Despite his agonizing headache, Misono manages to somehow convince the doctors that he’s well enough to leave, though by the time he does, the sun has already set below the horizon. The day had gone by so quickly that he hadn’t even had time enough to enjoy it, thanks to those Vampires. Vampires, causing him to lose a day of his life laying in a hospital bed with a pounding headache. Vampires, causing him to imagine life as a normal human being and causing him to despise the life he currently leads.

Vampires, ruining everything, like always.

And now Dodo is grabbing his arm so tightly that Misono can’t even feel it, trying to help him through the parking lot out to the car. Why did Dodo park so far away? Why hadn’t Dodo just left Misono on the sidewalk and pulled the car around?

Because he didn’t like the thought of leaving his master alone, though Misono wouldn’t have cared. In fact, he would’ve loved a few minutes to himself to just process everything.

That kid had a coffin…

Mahiru said he was his friend, called just to make sure he was alright…

That two-tailed fox…

The butterfly fluttering around Misono’s head seems to be able to feel his anxiety. The way it’s frantically flapping its wings and flitting to and fro like it can’t sit still says everything. 

And it’s true, Snowlily can feel his anxiety. They are connected deeper than Misono believes. Not only can he feel Misono’s anxiousness, but he can also feel his anger and grief. That grudge is what’s making Snowlily so uneasy, causing his emotional fragility. Even now, he’s crying, though butterflies can’t shed tears. He is whimpering, though, and Misono can hear it whenever Snowlily flies close enough to his head.

“Get away from me!” Misono whispers, swatting at the butterfly.

Dodo hasn’t even noticed it, too focused on getting Misono to the car unscathed. “The other servants are going to kill me when we get home. I can’t believe I had to call them. I can’t believe you went to the hospital on my watch.”

“I wasn’t on your watch. I made you park a block away.” Misono reminds him. “They’ll have my head.”

“They wouldn’t dare; they’ll look for anyone else to blame.” Dodo sighs. “That anyone else will most likely be me.”

Now that he’s talking to Dodo, he suddenly gets a brilliant idea. He violently jerks his arm. “LET GO OF ME, DODO! I CAN WALK JUST FINE!”

Dodo jumps and releases him. Misono shouts just like his father.

The moment Misono is free from Dodo’s grasp, he suddenly feels extremely dizzy. That concussion will not go away no matter how much he wills it to. Honestly, willing it to disappear only seems to make it worse. With a loud groan, he stumbles forward, clutching his head. Dodo lunges for him, but Misono holds up his hand in your typical “stop” gesture, and Dodo forces himself to stay back. If Misono thinks he can deal with this himself, then he probably can.

Another step, and Misono groans again. Why is his headache so terrible? This can’t just be a concussion. There must be something else happening.

He hears a chuckle.

Instantly, Misono perks up and looks around. He knows that chuckle, and he certainly knows the laugh that follows. Dodo can hear it, too, since he’s reaching at his side for the gun that’s most likely concealed under his shirt.

There isn’t anything else, though. All that’s surrounding them is that parking lot. The chuckling seems to be coming from nowhere at all.

“Just keep walking,” Dodo says.

Misono takes another step, and trips over something in his path.

“MASTER!”

That’s not Dodo.

Snowlily had just transformed without even thinking. He dives to catch his Eve, and luckily makes it in time before Misono can hit the ground. The laughter continues, and Snowlily’s eyes scan the pavement until at last they land on the source of that laugh.

That two-tailed fox is there, walking in circles as if to make those two tails all the more visible. It’s laughing at Misono’s expense… or is it at Snowlily’s?

“Sorry, brother,” it says, “I didn’t mean to hurt your Eve.”

Snowlily glares at him. “I’m sorry, who are you?”

The fox laughs, and then turns and sprints across the parking lot, diving into a bush on the far side of it.

“Master, are you alright?” Snowlily gently whispers. 

“I’m… fine…” Misono groans, clutching his head. “Help me… stand up…”

The moment Misono is standing, though, Snowlily makes the grave mistake of looking in Dodo’s direction.

Red eyes…

Fangs… 

“VAMPIRE!” Dodo cries, drawing his gun immediately and aiming it right between Snowlily’s eyes. 

“Dodo, don’t!” Misono orders, holding out his hand again. His other hand is clutching at his throbbing forehead. “This one is mine.”

Dodo lowers his gun, staring at the Vampire in wonder. The creature is beautiful, but then again, all Vampires are. It’s rare to come across an ugly one, given that they’re some of the most manipulative beings out there. The creature’s blond hair, kind eyes, and beautiful features make it look all the more appealing. Dodo’s eyes wander up and down the creature’s body, and then stop right below its chest, for something is hanging there. Something that Dodo thought Misono had lost.

“Master!” Dodo exclaims. “You didn’t seriously give it the pocketwatch, did you!?”

“I had to,” Misono glares up at his chauffeur, clenching his teeth. “I had to give it something important to me to seal the contract.”

“You didn’t have to give it something  _ that  _ important!” Dodo is still staring in disbelief, his eyes wandering back and forth between the Vampire and the human beside it. “Master, I can’t believe you formed a contract with a True Vampire. What were you thinking?”

“It was the most effective way to achieve my goal. Only a Servamp can efficiently kill another Servamp. Those creatures are immortal otherwise.” 

“I, I just, what, what would your father think?”

“MY FATHER IS DEAD!”

Dodo winces. “Sorry, sorry! But, it’s just, the other servants, they’re going to flip out when they see-”

“The others don’t have to know.” Misono leans his head against Snowlily and shuts his eyes. “I’m just going to use it to achieve my goal, and once that’s over, I’ll end the contract. Plain and simple.”

“You do know the only way to end the contract is with your death, right?”

“My death, or breaking the Vampire.”

“To break the Vampire, you have to break the item you gave it. You do know that, right?”

_ It. It. It.  _ Snowlily finds himself getting very sick of being called  _ it _ . Something inside of him toils as he listens to that over and over again. They’re talking about using him,  _ breaking him _ , as if he’s not right there to hear all of it. Insolent humans…

No, what!? 

He shakes his head and blinks several times. What had triggered those horrible thoughts? He’s not heartless! These humans are just angry and grieving, and they see Vampires as nothing more than the monster that killed the master of their house. That’s the reason for their choice of pronoun.

“You’d have to break the pocketwatch, master. I know you couldn’t stand doing that.”

“Maybe I’ll keep it, then,” Misono snaps. “Maybe I’ll just keep this Vampire as my slave.”

“Those contracts take a lot more from the Eve than you think, master. It’s not just ‘give them something and then you can order them to do your bidding’. There’s a lot more that goes into it. They respond to your-”

“Dodo, do me a favor and SHUT UP. We’ll talk about this later. Right now we’re standing in the middle of a hospital parking lot.” Misono shuts his eyes again. “And besides, I can always ask the Vampire what the contract entails.”

_ The Vampire. _

_ It. _

_ Maybe I’ll keep it as my slave. _

Snowlily’s grip on his Eve tightens. His fingernails start to dig into the boy’s arm. They’re talking about him like he’s a dog, like he can’t understand them, like there’s some sort of language barrier or something. Maybe they think Vampires can’t understand humans when they talk right in front of their faces like that.

“Ouch!” Misono yelps, and then slaps Snowlily’s hand. “Watch how tight you’re grabbing!”

“Sorry, master.”

It sounds completely insincere, and Misono notices, though he doesn’t pay it any mind. “Take me to the car, Snowlily.”

“Yes, master.”

He sounds like a malfunctioning robot, but he obeys, and escorts his Eve to the car as gently as he can. Part of him finds himself wishing he could just do what Lawless always does: murder his Eve when he gets tired of them. Besides, Misono doesn’t seem to have any other idea of what a Vampire is besides a cold blooded killing machine. Calling Snowlily ‘it’ and referring to him like a pet… Maybe Snowlily should just live out what that boy thinks he is, kill him-

_ NO! Stop thinking such cruel thoughts! Where are these thoughts even coming from!? _

Snowlily can hear his inner self screaming at him. He shakes his head again. What happened to his previous image of his Eve? That sweet little boy who just misses his father? That adorable kid who just has so much built up emotion that he can’t take it anymore? That’s the right Misono. That’s what this poor boy is.

“This is boring. I think I can make it more interesting, though.”

Dodo, Misono, and even Snowlily all scream when they hear that voice. It sounds a lot like that fox, only deeper. Once they turn and look at one of the lampposts in that parking lot, they can see that the source of that voice is a man dressed rather oddly, giving them a strange smile.

It’s that Tsubaki guy.

“You!” Misono shouts.

“Hey, hey, hey.” He holds up his hands. “I have no interest in fighting right now. I came to tell you something.”

Misono narrows his eyes, still clinging to Snowlily just to stand upright. “What?”

“Mahiru, the boy that said he was your friend?” He chuckles. “He hid something from you again.”

“He did not. You’re lying. Just like all Vampires do.”

“All of Love doesn't lie, does he?”

“He obeys me. If he were to lie, that would breach the contract.” Misono’s glare is still as cold as ever. “What was Mahiru hiding, then?”

“He saw another Vampire. Another Servamp. Lawless of Greed is wandering around these parts with an Eve of his own. I saw him myself earlier.” He turns away, and shoots a final glance over his shoulder. “At that theatre, is where he tends to hang out. When he’s not there, I’m not sure where he is.”

With that, he transforms into that fox again, and darts away once more, in case the Hunter got any ideas about shooting him.

“Lawless of Greed?” Misono questions, trying to remember which animal that one was. He couldn’t really think at that time. “Ugh… later… take me to the car.”

“Yes, master,” Snowlily says, trying to forget about his apparent younger brother.

* * *

 

“We really should be going,” Mahiru insists. “It starting to get dark.”

“You can stay here for the night,” Hugh tells them. “Can’t they, Tetsu?”

“Of course,” Tetsu agrees, most likely because it’s Hugh that said it. “I checked the front desk and that Vampire Hunter rented out a room, but he’s not here anymore. You two can use it.”

“That’s nice of you to offer, but-”

“Mahiru,” Kuro looks over at him. “Why should we bother? It’s not like you have anything important to do.”

“I have all of these school supplies,” Mahiru holds up his bag, “and I need to get them organized before-”

“Can’t you do that tomorrow?”

“You’re not going to make me procrastinate at everything!” Mahiru shuts his eyes and sighs. “I appreciate the offer, you guys, but-”

“Please let us stay here,” Kuro interrupts him again.

“Stop interrupting me!” Mahiru looks over at Kuro. “Why don't you want to leave?”

“Because…” Kuro sighs. “I can sense something outside. Something that isn’t good. We shouldn’t even bother.”

“Yeah,” Hugh says, “I can sense it, too. It’s definitely not good. Shirota!”

He suddenly shouts, and Mahiru jumps. “What?”

“You still don’t have your Lead yet, do you?”

“My… what…?”

“Your weapon. It’s called a Lead.”

“Oh. No, I can’t say that I do.”

“Before you dare set foot on those streets again, you should really get your hands on a Lead.” Hugh stares him dead in the eyes. “Tetsu has his. I wouldn’t doubt that the Hunter is going to get one himself here, soon. You really should have one yourself.”

“Okay…” Mahiru’s mind is already swarming with questions, but the one that comes out of his mouth is, “how do I get one?”

“Like this.”

Mahiru couldn’t tell who had said that, because the moment they do, something weird happens, something that he doesn’t understand. Everything around him changes, disappears, whatever happens when you’re suddenly somewhere else, somewhere unfamiliar.

“Happy birthday, Mahiru.”

That gives Mahiru the worst fright of his life, and his heart almost jumps right out of his throat. He then notices the strange thing in front of him. It looks like a cat, kind of, but not a real one. It looks like a doll, a living doll of a cat, and it’s prancing along in front of him, talking to him, leading him somewhere.

“Pick your present,” it tells him.

Off to the side, Mahiru notices a giant pile of boxes, wrapped up like birthday presents. He stares at them for a while, not sure which one he should pick, if they’re even for him. Because despite being in this strange, unfamiliar place, it feels… natural. It feels like he should be there. There’s something about the atmosphere that makes Mahiru feel less afraid.

“Pick the one that’s the most like you,” it says. “Pick the one that speaks to you.”

Mahiru’s eyes scan the boxes, the wrapping paper, the ribbons, until at last they land on a box whose gift wrap doesn’t have a crazy pattern on it. It’s a plain white box with a red ribbon, and something about that box “speaks to him”.

“The simple one,” Mahiru says, walking over to it. A moment later, and he picks it up. Instantly, it begins to transform in his hands…

Suddenly, he’s back in the room, holding something in his fist. It takes him a moment to figure out what it is, given that it’s black with some strange energy emanating from it. It’s pretty much unrecognizable until Mahiru hears Kuro:

“A broom?”

Is it a broom? Once Mahiru gets used to the weird feeling of holding something that he took straight out of someone’s mind in his hand, he realizes that the long, narrow handle and the weird shape at the end definitely is a broom.

“Pretty fitting,” Kuro says, “for someone like you.”

“What does that mean!?” Mahiru shouts at his Servamp, staring at the weapon. With a bright flash, the broom vanishes, the weird substance it’s made from curling itself around his wrist until the only thing that remains is a strange marking that looks like a tattoo. He lets out a loud scream. “What was that!?”

“That?” Hugh smiles at him. “That’s how you put it away. Try summoning it again.”

“Summon it? What?”

“It’s your Lead; you can summon it at will.” Hugh sighs. “Alright, alright. It is getting late. You humans need to rest.”

“I’m so confused.” Mahiru stares at his new tattoo that’s not really a tattoo, and pulls his wristband over it to cover it. Those wristbands…

Sakuya had given him those…

Sakuya…

Mahiru really wants to find him. He wishes he could talk to him. He does have Sakuya’s number in his phone, sure, but there’s no way of knowing how Sakuya feels when he’s talking on the phone. After all, he’s a pretty good liar.

His head starts to ache. He is getting tired, now that Hugh mentions it. He’ll find Sakuya tomorrow.

“Congrats, Kuro,” Mahiru says, “we’re staying here for the night.”

“Congrats?” Kuro sighs. “I was literally just being cautious. There’s something bad outside. Hugh can sense it, too.”

“Yeah, something really bad. It feels almost like the Hunter is back.” Hugh looks at Tetsu. “Tetsu, which room is it that the Hunter rented out?”

“Uh… I don’t remember. I’ll go check the front desk again.”

Once Tetsu had taken them to the room Misono had rented out, Mahiru had immediately ran to the window to open the curtains.

“What are you doing?” Kuro had switched to his animal form, and curled up on the floor. He blinks at his Eve slowly.

“What’s the bad thing?” Mahiru can’t see anything in the darkness, no matter how much he squints. 

“I don’t know. You heard Hugh; it feels like the Hunter is still here. It feels like we’re still not quite safe.” He sighs. “It’s not out that way, either. I could feel it closer to the room Hugh has.”

“I wanna know what it is.” Mahiru shuts the curtains again, and stumbles over to the bed, exhausted. “This whole Vampire thing is making me crazy.”

“This whole ‘Eve’ thing is making me crazy, too.” Kuro shuts his eyes and rests his head on his paws. “Let’s just sleep on it for now.”

“Good idea.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dodo found out about Snowlily, and Mahiru finally got his Lead. I hope you enjoyed! See you in the next one!


	15. Snapped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pain, the grief, the anger.  
> He can't take it anymore.  
> It was only a matter of time before he snapped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's been so long! I've just been so busy lately that I haven't had time to write! Anyway, here's a new chapter!

Lawless of Greed…

Lawless of Greed…

Lawless…

Misono can’t stop thinking about it. There’s another Servamp in this town? Why are they all gathering here? Assuming that Tsubaki was telling the truth, anyway.

Tsubaki. He’s just annoying at this point. Misono wishes he could kill that one first. Honestly, what’s telling him he can’t? He could definitely go and slaughter that annoying eighth Servamp before he kills any of the other ones. Though, something tells him that killing Tsubaki will be a lot harder than he thinks it will be. 

There has to be a reason for them all to gather in this one specific town. Is there something special about this place that attracts Vampires? What kind of supernatural things are going on? 

It’s late at night, meaning that Misono should be fast asleep, but there is no possible way he can sleep while all of these thoughts are running rampant in his brain. So many Vampires, so much to think about, he can’t just rest while there are dangerous, bloodthirsty beasts roaming the streets! There are so many humans that need protected, and so many Vampires that need killed. Especially this new one, this “Tsubaki” and “Lawless”. Those two are probably the most dangerous since Misono didn’t know one existed until recently, and didn’t know about one of them being in town until earlier that night.

Forget sleeping. Misono crawls out of bed, though he isn’t quite sure where he’s going. He slips on a pair of slippers and his robe, and heads for his bedroom door. He hears a strange sound behind him, and then looks over his shoulder to see his Servamp standing in the middle of the room. Snowlily has a strange, saddened look on his face, and his hands are clasped in front of him.

“Where are you going, Master?” he asks.

“I can’t sleep,” Misono answers. “There’s too many Vampires in this town for me to just shut my eyes and forget the world. I need to find my father’s old journals… wait, no I don’t.” His eyes meet Snowlily’s, and the realization hits him. “I could just ask you.”

“Ask me what?”

“Which animal is Lawless of Greed?”

So that’s what he wants to ask. Snowlily shuts his eyes and takes a deep breath. “He’s a hedgehog.”

“The hedgehog.” Misono walks back over to his bed, and opens his nightstand. In it is an old-looking notebook that must’ve belonged to his father at some point. He opens it and pulls out a pen, and starts writing things down. Snowlily wants to look over his shoulder and see what exactly his master is writing, but he decides against it. Odds are Misono wouldn’t want him to see the words on that page.

“And the thing Dodo said,” Misono goes on, “about there being more to a contract than just giving you something and you doing my bidding. He said you respond to something in me; what did he mean by that?”

Snowlily swallows, closing his eyes again. Behind his eyelids, he sees something strange in his vision. It’s almost like his inner self is appearing there, trying to tell him something. That small girl that governs his mind looks almost angry, and he wishes he could tell her to calm down. However, her anger is starting to make his heart burn.

“I respond to your emotions,” he tells Misono. “Your deep desires, your subconscious feelings, your darkest secrets. I can feel your rage, your grief, and I react based on it. I can feel your feelings; our minds are connected.”

“Interesting.” Misono moves onto his knees, writing all of this down as Snowlily tells him. “So, I don’t just control your actions with commands. I control your feelings with my own.”

“It’s not just that. Your surface feelings truly have no bearing on my own. It’s the feelings that eat away at your mind: your grief and the grudge you hold against Vampires affect my judgement as much as they affect yours. Your core memories, your subconscious feelings, those are the ones that mean the most to a Servamp.”

“So you can feel my anger at Vampires. Does that mean you feel angry toward Vampires?”

“No. Truthfully, I don’t feel exactly what you do. Your feelings manifest in me differently than they manifest in you. Your rage against Vampires, your desire to kill…” That small girl behind Snowlily’s eyelids has a death glare on her face, pure rage in her eyes. The word she’s mouthing to him, that motion she’s making as if she’s slashing a scythe. His inner self wants him to do something terrible. Those horrible, awful desires are returning. That lust, that lust… it’s not sexual, it’s murderous.

That bloodlust.

Bloodlust.

“My desire to kill?” Misono looks up at his Servamp, and his eyes widen.

Snowlily’s head is tilting downward. He can see the words behind his eyes.  _ Kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill. _

_ Kill kill kill. _

_ Kill. _

Her anger, her eyes are glowing. She’s so deadly, so murderous, who would’ve thought a little girl would think of something like that? Her mind is supposed to be full of sugar and sweetness, and normally there isn’t an ounce of anything dark inside of Snowlily’s head.

He’s All of Love. Love, sweetness, kindness, caring, wanting someone to be happy, wanting the best for them, wanting to spend every minute with them, wanting to touch them, wanting to hear kind words leave their lips.

Love, not death.

Love, not murder.

Love, not hatred.

Love, where did the love go?

He’s shaking now, that rage inside of Misono, that grief. He wants to cry, to scream, he wants vengeance. Vengeance on who? He can’t think of anyone he despises. He loves everyone, he loves the world. Who would he want revenge on? Who wronged him?

His hands are clenched around the handle of an invisible scythe. He doesn’t have his weapon, and yet he can feel the weight in his hands. That feeling, that energy that the scythe is made of always sends a weird tingling sensation through his hands, and that feeling is what gives him the confidence and power to commit these horrible acts. 

He’s not suited to fighting. He wasn’t the one bred to fight, to hurt, to kill. Honestly, he hasn’t a clue why he was made. He’s the weakest of the seven, not meant for anything except keeping a lonely person company.

“Snowlily,” Misono says, a tinge of fear in his voice. He masks it with the sharp edge of annoyance. “Snowlily, answer me. What about my desire to kill?”

“Your… your desire to kill… it, it affects me greatly…” He can barely speak, his voice coming out shaky, edged with anger, tinged with remorse, and so quiet it’s hardly a whisper.

He feels no love.

He feels no joy.

He just wants the taste of blood in his mouth.

He just wants to hear the wind as he slashes that scythe through the air.

He just wants to hear someone scream in agony.

He wants someone to feel his pain.

His pain? What pain? He’s not in pain. It’s not his pain, it’s his Eve’s. And yet he desperately feels the need to get revenge, that same grief and rage that Misono feels.

It only just started to affect him so greatly, mostly because Misono decided to stay awake all night thinking about it. Every single thought, every time that subconscious feeling rises to the surface, affects Misono’s judgement, impacts his decisions, Snowlily feels it pulsate through his entire body.

“What’s the matter with you?” Misono snaps at him. “Snowlily! What’s your problem!?”

_ Kill… _

_ Kill… _

_ Kill… _

_ He needs to die. _

_ You need revenge, All of Love. _

_ Kill… _

She’s still there. She won’t leave him alone. That little voice in his head is telling him to do something terrible, something he would never want to do. Where did the love go? The love is gone. That lust is bloodlust.

That love is hatred.

That love is anger.

That love is murder.

“Snowlily!” Misono doesn’t understand, and he never will. The way he’s shouting that name he gave that Vampire and clapping his hands and snapping his fingers like it can somehow shut off his mind. “Snowlily! Snowlily!”

There’s nothing he can do, now.

“This is your fault!” Snowlily shouts.

Misono falls silent. What’s that Vampire talking about? Slowly, he stands up, facing the Vampire dead on. Snowlily is at least a foot taller than him, and that size puts Misono at a total disadvantage, but nevertheless he stands face-to-face with something way more powerful and way taller than him.

“What’s my fault?” Misono asks.

“This, this is your fault…” Snowlily hugs himself, tears threatening to fall from his eyes. He’s shaking with such rage, such a feeling that he’s never felt before in his life. “I can’t, I can’t stop it. I can feel your rage, your grief, every bit of it. I can feel your thirst for vengeance, and no matter what I do, I can’t help myself…”

“What do you want, Snowlily?”

“I want what you want, Master. I want revenge.” He looks up, meeting his Eve’s eyes with his own watering red ones. “Revenge on the ones who wronged me. Our minds are synchronized. When you want revenge on my family, I want revenge on yours.”

The memories come back in images. Snowlily’s own terrible decision, his poor judgement telling him that they would be safe in the Alicein mansion, that they could sneak in there for a night and have somewhere safe to rest. All of those servants coming in, all of those servants with their weapons and their cries of “Vampires! Vampires!” over and over again. The sounds of screams filling the air, the fire of gunshots echoing, the feeling of holy water suffocating him with every movement he made. 

And there was Mikado, Alicein Mikado, with his pistol, aiming at everything in his path and firing. Whether it be a servant or a Vampire he killed, he didn’t seem to care as long as he protected himself and his family. That’s all Snowlily wanted, too; to keep his family safe. Those people wouldn’t listen to reason, wouldn’t listen to Snowlily crying out that these were children they were hurting, that they were little kids, little orphans that he had saved.

They didn’t care, for all they saw when the looked at the kids’ red eyes and fangs were Vampires. Cold, heartless Vampires. All of those kids died that day because of the Alicein family. And now Snowlily is stuck serving one of those Aliceins, the one that hates Vampires the most, the one that wants to see the entire Servamp family die, and the one who wants to watch as Snowlily is forced to kill his own siblings.

Not for long, not for long at all.

“You what?” Misono demands. 

That kid isn’t a grieving little boy. That kid is nothing now but a heartless monster. Misono Alicein, the poor child who lost his father…

No, the angry child who lost his father…

No, not even that. The cold, cruel, heartless, sadistic boy that wants nothing more than to see the end of the Vampires. The boy that wants a species to go extinct. The boy who wants Snowlily to suffer.

He has to kill him. Hugh is right. If he doesn’t kill him, then he’ll be forced to endure true torture.

Snowlily snarls, and dives for him.

* * *

 

Mahiru can’t sleep. Whatever that bad thing is outside, he truly wants to know what it is. 

Apparently, Kuro can’t sleep either, for every so often Mahiru hears a “Mrrow…” as Kuro rolls over and attempts to get comfortable.

“I can sense something outside,” Kuro mutters, and eventually switches into his human form. He stares at his Eve with tired, lazy eyes. “I wonder if Hugh can sense it, still.”

“Probably,” Mahiru answers. He walks over to the window and throws the curtains open.

He then promptly shrieks.

Outside the window is the Vampire Mahiru saw earlier that day: Lawless of Greed. He frantically puts a finger over his lips, trying to shush Mahiru. Kuro jumps to his Eve’s defense, giving Lawless a cold glare, which he responds to by grinning and motioning for Mahiru to open the window. Mahiru obeys, though he isn’t quite sure why. Lawless climbs inside the room.

“Hello, dear brother,” he greets Kuro.

“Why are you here?” Kuro growls.

“I heard about Old Child getting attacked; I had to show up. We can let bygones be bygones in the face of the Vampire Hunter, can’t we?” Lawless gives him an evil smirk. “Or we can continue to hate each other’s guts and help the Hunter kill all of us. Which would you rather do?”

“I wouldn’t mind if the Hunter got to you, honestly.” Kuro lazily looks over at his Eve. “Why did you let him inside?”

“I, uh, well, I don't know, to tell you the truth.” Mahiru falls onto the bed, taking a deep breath. “I don’t know why I’m doing anything, honestly! Why am I alive at this point!?”

“Take it easy, kid,” Lawless says with a laugh. “You sound like an edgy philosopher. Look, I’m glad you let me in, because there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What?” Mahiru stands up, clenching his fists at the Vampire in front of him. “What more could you possibly throw on my plate!?”

“I’ve been spying on that Hunter, the one with All of Love, and I can tell it won’t take much for our dear little brother to snap.” Lawless falls onto the bed, and kicks one foot up in the air. “Oh, poor All of Love! He’s always been the fragile one of us. In any case, that Hunter’s grief and thirst for vengeance is starting to eat away at our brother’s mind.”

“What?” Kuro’s eyes widen, and he looks a lot more awake than usual. “All of Love, snap? That’s not possible.”

“Oh, but it is!” Lawless throws his head back. “ _ The robbed that smiles steals something from the thief; he robs himself that spends a bootless grief.  _ In other words, it’s because that Hunter continues to mourn his loss that he ends up causing himself even more hardship.”

“Forget the Shakespeare and explain yourself,” Kuro sounds almost worried. “What’s wrong with All of Love?”

“Didn’t I tell you? He can feel that Hunter’s pain, and it’s driving him to madness. It won’t take long before he snaps and kills his Eve.”

“Hugh was talking about killing his Eve, and All of Love said he would never do that.”

“You don’t always mean what you say.” He looks over at Kuro and sighs. “I know you doubt All of Love’s ability to kill, Sleepy Ash, but let me tell you something; he’s a Vampire, just like us. He has the same thirst for blood and the same immortality. He’s watched so many people die as he lives on and on and on. We all have been alive for over a hundred years, after all. By this point, all of us are completely numb to death.”

“Get out.” Kuro clenches his teeth. “Get out of here.”

“Protective of All of Love, are we?” Lawless’s smile finally disappears, and he gives him a look that is all-too serious. “We all are, Sleepy Ash. He’s our little brother; we would all give our lives if it meant keeping him safe. He’s sweet, he’s gentle, and he loves us all more than anything else in the world. The six of us all have a soft spot for him. The only thing about him is that he’s extremely naive. Whether that’s attributed to his youth or his sin, we don’t entirely know. What we do know is, he often gets hurt. He’s weak, mentally and physically. In all honesty, Sleepy Ash, I hope he kills his Eve. If he doesn’t, there’s no telling what that powerful emotion known as grief would make him do.”

“All of Love would never kill anyone, especially his Eve. The guilt would eat him alive.”

Lawless leans closer to his older brother, so close that they’re barely two inches apart. “Listen, would you rather have All of Love bear the guilt of killing his Eve, or bear the guilt of killing his brother?”

Mahiru feels his heart jump, but Kuro’s expression doesn’t change. “Isn’t it obvious? I would rather him not bear the guilt of killing anyone at all.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk, Sleepy Ash.” Lawless wags his finger. “That’s not an option. All of Love will end up causing a death so long as he’s close with that Hunter.”

“Not if Old Child and I have anything to say about it.” 

“We’ve lost Doubt Doubt already. We don’t know the whereabouts of The Mother or World End. And there’s apparently an eighth one of us that has a front row seat to this war between Aliceins and Vampires.” Lawless scoffs. “I’m sorry, Sleepy Ash, but if you seriously expect us all to make it out of this one alive, you're sorely mistaken.”

Before Sleepy Ash could say anything else, Lawless jumps out the window again. Mahiru watches as he switches forms and scampers off as a little black and white hedgehog. With a deep breath, he slams the window shut and yanks the curtains closed.

“We’re all living,” Mahiru declares. “I’m not letting any of you die.”

“You don’t get a say in it, Mahiru,” Kuro switches forms and curls up as a cat on the little pillow Mahiru laid on the ground for him. “Lawless, as much as I hate to admit it, has a point. All of Love will end up killing someone eventually.”

“We can save him! We can get through to Misono! We can-”

“Stop.”

Mahiru falls silent. Kuro is clearly troubled by this, and Mahiru’s empathetic nature can somewhat feel his complicated emotions. Kuro cares deeply about his brothers, that much is obvious, but right now it’s All of Love that’s the forefront of his mind. 

The Eve of Sloth climbs into bed after that, even though he’s ninety-nine percent sure he won’t be able to fall asleep.

* * *

 

“SNOWLILY! STOP!”

Misono is hiding in his closet, desperately holding the door shut, as Snowlily snarls and claws at it, trying to pry it open. Luckily he can’t access that scythe of his without Misono’s blood; if he had that scythe, Misono would be dead already.

Is that what he had done to his father? Did he just bare his fangs, snarl like a demon, and dive for him without so much as a second thought? Had his father’s death been instantaneous, or had it been long, drawn out with him fighting the entire time? Did his father ever try to run away, or did he stand there and do all he could to protect his family?

What had that day looked like from the eyes of Mikado?

The words that Snowlily had said: your desire to kill. Was his behavior right now, was his own bloodlust, the direct manifestation of Misono’s own grief and anger? Did Misono really feel this much hatred, this much rage, down to his very core? Was his thirst for revenge this tremendous? It must have been, or else Snowlily would’ve been able to control it.

Misono is that merciless.

He’s that cold and cruel.

He’s that bloodthirsty.

He’s just as bad as the Vampires.

Misono’s heart ached, but he tried his best to ignore it. There’s a bloodthirsty monster outside of that door, his own inner demons trying to slaughter him in the most brutal way possible, wanting to sink their fangs into him and drain every drop of life from his small body.

He never realized it until now. He never  _ wanted  _ to realize it. Seeing his own anger and pain in this form makes it so he wants to deny that it’s his. Those are his own demons, and it takes so much courage and bravery to face them. He can’t stand it.

“Papa,” Misono whispers, “help me.”

His father can’t do anything. That safety net, that overbearing protection that his father provided him is gone, and it left him several years ago, when his father got murdered in cold blood. Had that been Misono’s doing, too?

No, that wasn’t his fault at all! That was the Vampire’s fault, and there was no contract! Snowlily hadn’t been acting on Misono’s emotions then. Only now, it’s only now, that he’s responding to Misono’s grief, and Misono had no grief until he lost his father.

He’s horrible… he’s so cruel…

This is how cruel he is. He’s a bloodthirsty monster. He’s one of them…

Stop thinking that! Misono isn’t one of them. He isn’t something that only hungers for death and despair…

He wants it for them. He is someone who hungers for death and despair.

He’s a Vampire. A Vampire to Vampires.

“STOP!” Misono cries out.

That Vampire won’t stop. It can’t stop. All it wants is death and vengeance, just like Misono. It wants someone to feel its pain, just like Misono. That Vampire is Misono’s own. 

The only way it will stop is if Misono somehow manages to stop it. Either that, or once it destroys Misono completely.

He’ll be trapped in that closet all night, at this rate.

He has to fight back, but how? His gun is all the way in his nightstand, and the moment he opens that door, that Vampire will immediately attack him and kill him. It’s over. This is how it ends. There’s no other way.

Misono takes a breath, almost willing to accept his death. He then starts feeling around in his closet with his free hand, and he grabs the clothes he had been wearing that day off the floor. After feeling in his pocket, he retrieves something.

His cell phone.

There’s hope. 

Misono unlocks it, and notices that it’s on low battery. That doesn't matter, though. All that matters is that he can call someone; someone can come save him. Someone can take out Snowlily, even if he can’t.

He quickly dials the first number that comes to his head.

“Hello?” a tired voice answers.

“Shirota!” Misono cries. “You’ve gotta help me! It’s Snowlily, he’s gone crazy! He’s trying to kill me! Please, just come help me!”

“Okay, okay! Where are you?”

“At my house, just please, hurry!”

At that moment, Misono doesn’t hear anything. He looks at the screen of his phone and sees that frustrating icon of the battery with nothing in it. Outside the door, Snowlily is still furiously clawing at the wood and snarling. 

Mahiru better get there fast, or else Misono will most certainly be a goner. No matter how much he screams and cries, Snowlily won’t stop, and the servants apparently can’t hear anything. It’s as if he’s all alone, facing his inner demons.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I know where I'm going with this. We'll see if it ends up working out. If it does, prepare for a lot of tears. I hope you enjoyed! See you in the next one!


	16. Hesitation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On his way to save Misono, Mahiru runs into someone. Two someones, who attempt to make him question if what he's doing is truly the right thing to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I warned about tears, but the tears aren't here yet. The tears are next chapter. In any case, here's the chapter between! I hope you enjoy it!

 

“So Lawless was right! Your brother did snap!” Mahiru sprints out the front door of the resort, heading down the street. He has no clue how long it’ll take to get to Misono’s on foot, but hopefully not too long. It already feels like he’s running faster than a normal human speed.

“Yeah,” Kuro is in cat form on his shoulder, too lazy to run on his own, even though it would probably be faster for him to do so. “Are you sure we’ll get there in time?”

“Running is the only way I can think to get there!” Mahiru remembers his Lead at that moment. A broomstick. Black cat, broomstick… that gets him thinking… _I wonder…_

Mahiru moves his wristband and summons his Lead, which confuses Kuro at first. It only confuses him more when Mahiru climbs onto it, and it confuses him the most when that broomstick actually starts to fly through the air with Mahiru riding it like a horse.

“What are you doing!?” Kuro says, looking down at the ground, which is getting further and further away with every passing second.

“Black cat, broomstick, I figured it could fly!” Mahiru answers.

It can fly, he got that much right. However, he’s not the best at flying it, given that he has no experience with broomsticks. Not many people do.

For a short while, Mahiru soars high above everything, feeling the wind in his hair and clothes and listening to the sound of air rushing past his ears. He almost wants to laugh for pure enjoyment. There’s something so cool about being able to fly. Flying had been a dream of humans for centuries, and now Mahiru can actually live that dream without being in the confines of an airplane. He can hear the wind, not an engine, he can feel the wind, not the controlled atmosphere of a jet. This broomstick, there’s nothing like it anywhere else in the world.

However, it isn’t long before Mahiru loses control of that broomstick and ends up plummeting toward the ground. He can hear nothing but the wind rushing past his ears and his own screaming as he clings to that broomstick and does everything he can trying to get it to go upward again. No matter how much he pulls on it, though, it continues to fall in a downward spiral toward the woods he had been flying over.

If not for Kuro switching forms and doing something that Mahiru didn’t quite see, Mahiru probably would’ve died. Thankfully, though, he survived that fall with nothing more than cuts and bruises.

“You’re so stupid,” Kuro tells him.

Mahiru sits up after laying in a crumpled heap on the ground for a few moments. He feels a dull ache through his entire body, but it quickly passes, and it’s easy enough to ignore. All around him, he sees nothing but trees.

“Kuro, where are we?” he asks.

The Servamp of Sloth looks around a bit. “I have no idea,” he answers. “You were the one flying the broom.”

“I think we go that way,” Mahiru says, pointing in a random direction. “Or, or maybe that way,” he adds, pointing in the exact opposite direction.”

“Or,” Kuro suggests, “we could fly up out of the trees again.”

“Yeah, maybe- WHERE’S THE BROOM!?” Mahiru spins in a circle, and then remembers that it’s a Lead; he can summon it at will, according to Hugh. With a deep breath, he moves the wristband, revealing the marking on his arm. “Come on, come on…”

Kuro sits there, his knees up to his chest, resting his head on them. He looks around, left and right, as if he can find the way out just by doing that. He also listens to his Eve freaking out, apparently not being able to summon the broom again.

“Why isn’t it working!?” Mahiru shouts.

“Maybe,” Kuro says, “you’re freaking out too much. Try calming down first.”

“How can I calm down!? Misono is in danger!”

“He’s a Hunter, Mahiru; I think he can handle himself until we get there. We’re free to arrive at our own leisure.”

“Are you insane!? Or just apathetic!?” Mahiru shuts his eyes and takes a breath. “I know he’s a Hunter, and I know you don’t like him, but nobody deserves to die.”

“Well, well, well, Shirota Mahiru and big brother sloth. Funny running into you two, here.”

Mahiru and Kuro instantly perk up, Kuro going so far as to rise to his feet. They look around, and eventually spot him through the trees. Tsubaki, only, he’s not alone. There’s someone familiar standing next to him, with his arms crossed, leaning against a tree.

“Sakuya,” Mahiru says. “Sakuya, where have you been? I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”

Tsubaki answers for his subclass. “He’s been with me. Me, and a few of my other servants.”

“You have more?” Mahiru exclaims in disbelief.

As if that’s the funniest thing in the world, Tsubaki throws his head back and laughs maniacally. “You think I only have one servant? You’re hilarious.” His laughter subsides, and a blank expression takes its place. “I don’t have nearly as many as Old Child, but I do have quite a few. Or, should I say, _did_ have quite a few. Those Aliceins are merciless when it comes to slaughtering servant Vampires. Those butlers and maids all leave that mansion in swarms and kill any Vampire they see. I have to keep close eyes on my own to make sure nothing happens to them.”

He looks almost… sad. Mahiru can’t help but notice the way the lights in that Vampire’s eyes changed the moment it mentioned the Alicein family being merciless.

“How many have you lost?” Mahiru asks, trying to show some sympathy. That’s all Vampires need, really: compassion.

“Too many to count.” He sighs. “It’s like a Vampire purging, the way they move out and kill. There’s so much jin around it’s like smog, covering this entire city. Though, it seems like even the jin are starting to leave. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Hunters found a way to get rid of them, too.”

“The what?”

“Jin,” Kuro answers. “The dust a servant Vampire turns into after it dies.”

 _Even after they die, they still serve their creator._ That’s what Misono had said, so that must be what this ‘jin’ is. Mahiru feels so clueless, but he tries his best to keep his confusion at bay. Besides, there’s something a lot more important right now than his lack of understanding of anything.

Sakuya is still standing there, not saying a word. He must be staying close to Tsubaki to avoid getting killed. That’s all Mahiru can think, given that Misono was so intent on slaughtering Sakuya not too long ago, when he had ran away from Mahiru in a fit of tears. If what Tsubaki is saying is true, and the Aliceins would routinely go out and slaughter subclass, then Sakuya must really be at risk.

 _I would’ve torn this whole town apart looking for you._ Tsubaki had said that to Sakuya that night, the night Mahiru’s contract was sealed permanently. Does he truly care that much about his servants? The way he had been talking to Sakuya, the things he had said, it truly does seem that way. The fact that Sakuya is still next to him now suggests it, too.

“Those Aliceins are more monstrous than we could ever hope to be,” Tsubaki concludes. “I’ve been watching the way that little boy has been with All of Love. He’s so cruel, calculating. In all honesty, I’ve not a clue who’s side to be on. One side is the siblings who pretend they don’t know me, and the other is the Hunters who keep killing my servants. This is a war where I truthfully hope that both sides kill each other off.”

“I don't hope that,” Mahiru says. “I just hope everyone can learn to get along.”

“I hope that, too,” Sakuya is the one who says this, and Mahiru stares at him in wonder and disbelief. “But it’s completely unrealistic. We’re two completely different species. One of us is a group of cold-blooded monsters-”

“And the other is a group of bloodthirsty beasts,” Tsubaki finishes. “Two different groups with the same killer instincts; we can never hope to coexist.”

Sakuya looks at Tsubaki with almost a glare, but once Tsubaki meets his eyes, he quickly forces it to go away.

“You’re wrong,” Mahiru says. “Not every human even knows Vampires are real. I didn’t. The cold-blooded monsters are the Hunters who don’t understand you guys, who just need to realize that Vampires can feel more emotions than a need for blood. I just need to get through to-”

“Get through to him!?” Sakuya exclaims. “Get through to him!? Mahiru, he was ready to slaughter you for trying to sympathize with me! Or did you forget about that!?”

_Kill him._

Mahiru suddenly does remember that. The moment he mentioned that Vampires can feel human emotions, Misono had turned on him and ordered Snowlily to kill him. If not for Tsubaki’s impromptu appearance, there was no way of knowing what could’ve gone down.

But then Misono had felt bad about it. He had apologized, told Mahiru not to hate him, wanted to be his friend. He’s not a bad person. Misono never has been a bad person. No, he’s just angry, and grieving.

And in danger right now.

“Misono!” Mahiru shouts. He then glares at Tsubaki. “I don’t have time for this right now! I have to go!”

“Go? Go where? To the Hunter to tell him you found us?” Sakuya’s voice breaks, and Mahiru feels guilt rip his heart in half. “You’re friends with him. You care about him more than you care about me.”

“Sakuya, please, don’t take it the wrong way! It’s his Servamp, he’s gone crazy and is trying to kill him. Misono called me and asked me to save him-”

“Don’t show up. Let the Hunter die. Maybe if you do that, this whole mess will be over.” Sakuya looks like he’s about to break down and cry again, and Mahiru really doesn't want to see that. “Or do you really care about that Hunter, the one that tried to kill me, kill _you_ , more than you care about me, the person you _insisted_ was still your best friend after you found out he was a Vampire and that all of the memories you shared were fake?”

Mahiru looks at Sakuya with an all-too serious stare. “You tried to kill me, too, Sakuya.”

“You know those were instincts!” Sakuya’s voice breaks, and so does whatever seal kept his tears in his eyes. Those tears are now falling, and his voice is shaking with every word. “That Hunter wasn’t going on instincts! That Hunter just wants every Vampire in the world to die! Instincts or grief, which one makes more sense with attempted murder!?”

“Sakuya,” Tsubaki interrupts the conversation, his voice soft and delicate like a mother soothing a crying child, “I think we know who’s side Shirota is on, now.”

“No.” Sakuya looks at Mahiru, looks him dead in the eyes. “You don’t want me to die, do you? You don’t want that Servamp of yours to die, do you? You don’t want to hurt All of Love, do you?”

Mahiru’s heart is pounding. “I don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

“Then let the Hunter die,” Tsubaki says, a strange smile emerging on his face. “That Hunter has hurt more people than any of us. All of Love saves orphans. Sleepy Ash is too lazy to be dangerous. I saved the person who would become your best friend. We’re not deadly. We’re not evil. That Hunter is the true villain.”

 _Misono…_ Mahiru remembers Misono breaking down, sobbing, screaming about losing his family. He remembers him going on and on about how evil Vampires are. He recalls that phone call, where Misono had warned him about Sakuya’s strange infatuation with him.

“You killed his entire family,” Mahiru reminds Tsubaki. “You started this whole feud.”

“Yes, I did,” Tsubaki responds. “And now I truly see how evil one little boy can be if he loses the people who matter most to him. He wants to kill every Vampire despite it only being several who have caused him such trouble.”

“He wants us all to suffer,” Sakuya reminds Mahiru. “That Hunter wants to kill the seven true Vampires just so he can satisfy his sadistic desire for revenge. Tell me if that doesn’t sound evil to you.”

“Mahiru,” Kuro whispers. “We could just leave, right now. Get away from them.”

“He wouldn’t be so upset if you hadn’t started that feud in the first place,” Mahiru says, ignoring his Servamp completely. “Why would you even do something like that?”

“I guess you can call me a bit of a hypocrite,” Tsubaki smiles, that smile going from ear to ear. “I want revenge, too, on my siblings. I guess the Hunter and I are one in the same. That, and I’m painfully, painfully bored, and this war is quite entertaining.”

“Listen to me, Mahiru,” Sakuya diverts Mahiru’s attention onto him. “Misono wants to cause pain. Pain to every single Vampire, including the subclass who did nothing wrong. Sure, he’s just angry and grieving, but is that any excuse for wanting the entire Vampire population to feel the same grief and agony? He wants to kill me, Mahiru. Me. I didn’t do anything to him. He wanted to kill you, and Kuro, for sympathizing with Vampires. Remember that?”

“I do remember. You reminded me of it already. But I don't think Tsubaki is any less evil.”

“Tsubaki saved me.” Sakuya’s voice breaks, and he has to swallow to keep himself from crying again. “If not for him, Mahiru, I’d be dead. I wouldn’t have gotten a second chance at life. I owe it all to him.”

Mahiru takes a deep breath, staring at Sakuya, wondering if this is all a lie, too. “What happened to you? What don’t I know?”

“I died, Mahiru. Well, almost.” Sakuya looks away, unable to meet his best friend’s eyes. “I lived my whole life lying. Lying to the police. Lying to my neighbors. Lying to my friends. Lying to you. Lying, lying, lying, I hate lying, I hate liars, but I am one. I’m the worst one of all. I know nothing about my parents, or what happened to them after I…”

Staring with wide eyes, Mahiru quietly says, “Sakuya…”

“You don’t have to tell him anything,” Tsubaki says. “He doesn’t have to know the truth if you don’t want him to know. Or, I could be the one to share it with him.”

“No, no, no,” Sakuya shakes his head. “I can say it myself. If he wants to know.”

So the decision is left on Mahiru, who doesn’t know if he wants to know anything or not. Based on the way Sakuya’s emotions are eating him alive, who knows if he can even tell the story? And what does it have to do with anything, anyway? All Mahiru needs to know is that Sakuya almost died, and the only reason he didn’t die was because Tsubaki saved him, turned him into a subclass Vampire, and now Sakuya is eternally loyal to him.

“If you can’t say it, don’t say it,” Mahiru says. “I don’t need to know more than what you already told me.”

Sakuya honestly seems relieved by this, and the tension in his body relaxes to some degree. Tsubaki is still standing right beside him, though, his hand resting on his servant’s back in case Sakuya needs more comfort. He does care. He has to care. He wouldn’t be standing right there and comforting Sakuya if he didn’t care.

Speaking of care, Mahiru suddenly remembers Misono again. He has to get away from Tsubaki and Sakuya, but there doesn’t seem to be a good way to do that.

Unless he can summon his Lead.

“Let’s just go home,” Kuro whispers. “Leave it to the other Servamps.”

“Save the Hunter, or go with Tsubaki, those are your choices!” Mahiru hisses back. “I need to summon my Lead. Just let me focus.”

The Lead still wouldn’t come, no matter how hard Mahiru tried. Kuro stares at his Eve for a bit, and then whispers:

“You’re not sure that’s what you want to do, so your Lead isn’t coming. You don’t know if you want to save Misono or let him die.”

“That’s not true! I don’t want to let anyone die!” Mahiru whisper-shouts.

“Are you attempting to summon your Lead?” Tsubaki asks. “Interesting. You want to fight?”

“No, just get out of here,” Mahiru answers without even thinking.

“Are you seriously going to go save that Hunter!?” Sakuya says. “Mahiru-”

“Hush,” Tsubaki looks down at his subclass and smiles. He then whispers something to him, something that Mahiru and Kuro both don’t hear nor notice. Mahiru because he’s too busy trying to summon his Lead, and Kuro because he’s too busy watching Mahiru attempt to summon his Lead. A moment later, and Tsubaki switches forms, turning into a fox and disappearing into the woods.

“Hey, Mahiru,” Sakuya says, still standing there.

Mahiru looks over at Sakuya. “What?”

The look on Sakuya’s face is one that’s almost pity-inducing. It’s sorrowful, despairful, regretful, and it makes Mahiru want to run over and hug him.

“What is it?” Mahiru repeats, his tone a lot more gentle.

“Let me come with you,” Sakuya insists. “Look, I don’t want anyone to die, either, but I have to serve Tsubaki, and Tsubaki just wants everyone to die. Yeah, he saved my life, and yeah he’s the reason I was still around to be friends with you, but… I don’t agree with anything he’s doing. I don’t want to be thought of as this bloodthirsty monster that hates people. That’s not me. Please, let me… let me prove to the Hunter that I’m not as evil as he thinks I am.”

Mahiru stares at his best friend for an awkwardly long amount of time. That look on Sakuya’s face, the twinkle in his eyes, that sliver of hope that Mahiru can see peeking through that layer of pure despair… it truly does look like he wants to prove himself. It truly does look like he doesn’t agree with anything his creator is doing. That hopeful stare he’s giving Mahiru, all he has to do now is clasp his hands together and drop to his knees, and that would be the true definition of begging.

“Please,” Sakuya says again, as if he thinks Mahiru’s hesitation means no. “I got a second chance at life from Tsubaki, but I need a second chance at being your friend. Being your friend, and that Hunter’s friend, and… I’m not a monster, am I?”

“No! No, of course not!” Mahiru blinks in astonishment. Sakuya’s begging, Sakuya’s expression, everything about Sakuya at this moment makes Mahiru feel some level of trust, some level of yes, this is the Sakuya he knows and loves.

Kuro stands behind his Eve, giving Sakuya a suspicious once-over. That’s the thing about Vampires: they are notoriously good liars. Humans are gullible, but that doesn’t diminish their impressive skills at deception. Sometimes, a Vampire can even fool another Vampire.

Mahiru’s gaze softens as he stares at his friend, and soon enough, he smiles. “Do you know the way out of the woods? At least how to get back to town?”

Sakuya blinks, his eyes widening in disbelief. Then, he grins. “Please, I know these woods like the back of my hand. I could probably get you to the Hunter’s house from here.”

“The Hunter has a name,” Mahiru reminds him. “Alicein Misono.”

“Oh, yeah.” Sakuya laughs, and Mahiru feels his heart swell. That has to be his best friend, back again. “Alicein Misono. Come on, let’s get out of here and save a kid.”

Sakuya begins to lead the way, and Kuro grabs his Eve’s shoulder. “You don’t seriously trust him, do you?”

“Why wouldn’t I?” Mahiru says, much to Kuro’s irritation. “He’s my friend, Kuro. He won’t lie again; he knows what that would do to our friendship.”

“I’m worried,” Kuro sighs. “I hate worrying. It takes a lot of energy. Can you summon your Lead, yet?”

“Let me try.”

Mahiru tries again to summon his Lead, and this time, it works. The broom manifests itself into his hand, and Sakuya whips around to see what’s going on. Once the broom is fully-formed, Sakuya cackles.

“Is that your Lead!?” he says, baffled. “A broom!? That’s so like you!”

“Be quiet! It’s a lot quicker to fly, isn’t it?” Mahiru climbs onto his broom like a cowboy mounting his steed, and motions for Sakuya to climb on behind him. “Let’s go.”

“Oh, no way. It flies!?” Sakuya walks over and climbs on, guffawing the entire time. “I can’t believe you have a flying broomstick.” He then notices Kuro, in his animal form, on Mahiru’s shoulder, and squeals. “A black cat and a broomstick!? What are you, a witch!?”

“Apparently!” Mahiru then kicks off the ground and flies up through the trees, branches smacking him in the face, one nearly knocking Kuro off his shoulders. Luckily, that kitty has some pretty long, sharp claws. Once they break the treeline, Mahiru doesn’t need Sakuya’s help getting out of the woods: he can see the Alicein mansion up ahead, and flying there is definitely going to be a lot quicker than walking.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sakuya... what's going on with him? Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! See you in the next one!


	17. Before Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misono's past.  
> Snowlily's future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Back again with a new chapter! I hope you enjoy it!

 

It’s not everyday someone finds a zip tie in their closet, but the moment Misono finds it, he suddenly remembers its purpose. He had hidden it in there for a reason, he recalled, the same reason he had made the servants install handles on the inside of the doors.

The door to Misono’s closet is a set of two doors that pull open from the outside and push open from the inside. They don’t latch, either, so there isn’t any knobs to turn: the outside of the door simply has two handles that a child with a severely weak constitution could pull on without effort. The inside of the closet bore no handles at all, until the day Misono pitched the idea to a few servants of his that there should be handles on the inside.

Misono quickly yanks the zip tie around the handles and pulls it as tight as it will go. The Vampire on the other side of the door still hasn’t given up, and it doesn’t seem like he ever will. Lack of any weapons at all is leading Misono to think that this seriously could be the end. Despite having a huge, walk-in closet, Misono really doesn’t store much in there except for clothes. He thought everything through when it came to needing to lock the door, but he didn’t bother thinking about hiding any weapons, and if he did, he had completely forgotten where he put them.

The only thing in that closet that isn’t an article of clothing is a journal. Surprisingly, it isn’t one of his father’s old notebooks about Vampires. This one belongs to Misono, and this one is more accurately described as a diary, one that he had been keeping since he was about six years old, when his writing first became legible.

There’s a pen next to that diary, and Misono picks up both the notebook and the pen to start writing. He figures he might as well tell the whole thing from the beginning, in case someone finds this journal in the future after that Vampire has busted into the closet and slaughtered him.

He could call the servants. He could scream and make a scene. Those servants have been trained to hear his shrieking from a mile away. But he doesn’t want to alert them at all. He knows full well what they’ll do if they hear that a Vampire is attacking their young master. They’ll show no mercy, and no matter how violent and terrifying he has become, Misono can’t afford to lose Snowlily.

No, he has to wait. He has to wait for Mahiru to show up and save the day, because he’s negligent enough to not hide any weapons in his closet. What had he been thinking?

All he can do now is write in that journal and hope that his deeply buried need for revenge and his overwhelming grief will leave the creature.

* * *

 

I suppose I should start this when I was about six years old. I had always been a sickly child; there were days when crossing my bedroom was a feat worthy of applause from the servants, and often left me on the verge of fainting out of sheer exhaustion. Most days I was confined to my bed, unable to even garner the strength to roll over. Sores developed on my back from laying in bed so long, and servants would have to come and rub this awful smelling ointment on them so that they wouldn’t get infected and make my condition worse. All I could really do was sleep, or read a book every now and again when Mikuni would go and get me one, or three.

Mikuni was also my source of gossip around the house. Since I was confined to my bed more often than not, he would often eavesdrop on conversations between my father and the servants, or my father and my mother, or the rare conversation of my father and someone completely obscure that he was on the phone with that day. Mikuni would listen in as much as he could, before being caught by someone, and he would relay what he had heard to me. Honestly, Mikuni entertained me more than anyone or anything else. When he wasn’t relaying gossip, he would bring up his old chess board and teach me how to play, or he would read a book to me when I couldn’t read it myself. During my illness sentence, he quickly became my best friend, being the one who visited me the most.

Father forbade any electronics in the house, aside from the landline phone so he could contact us when he was on business trips abroad, and the computer he had in his office. Us children weren’t allowed to enter the office. I never knew why he wouldn’t let us in there, and my only theory, being that I was so young at the time, was that he didn’t want us to play on the computer. I still don’t know the answer to why we weren’t allowed in there, truthfully. As if blocked off by some forcefield, I find that when I do manage to open the door, I can’t bring myself to walk in. Perhaps it’s out of habit, from constantly being told that I'm not allowed in father’s office, that Mikuni isn’t allowed in father’s office, that the maids and lower-level servants aren’t allowed in father’s office. The only people that were allowed in there were my father himself, and his personal assistant, Mitsuki, whom he trusted with everything.

Given that I was so often confined to my bed, it’s understandable that I got tired of it. I often wanted to go outside, but my allergies were too severe. Even now, being outside during the late spring or early summer makes my eyes itch and water, and my throat scratchy. Back when I was younger and everything about me was significantly worse, being outside would send me into coughing and sneezing fits. Sometimes I wouldn't be able to breathe at all. Autumn and winter are usually fine, but back when my illness had me in its iron grip, the servants refused to let me outside in the winter, worried that the cold would make me worse. I hardly ever got to go outside.

Since I couldn't go outside, on days when I felt more awake than usual servants would carry me downstairs and allow me to rest in the sitting room. There, Mikuni and I would play chess on the real chess board, the tabletop one with the heavy chess pieces and the freshly painted squares, one that’s a lot nicer than the old, portable one Mikuni has underneath his bed. There’s also a bookshelf in that room, so Mikuni would bring me books and let me pick ones I liked for him to read to me, or for me to read to myself. Being so young, I could never really comprehend anything that happened in those books. Mikuni, however, seemed to understand everything, and could even go so far as to act out Shakespeare, which he understood like it was a children’s book.

Mikuni would also talk to me non-stop about Vampires. He would point out weird things going on around my house: my father's impressive collection of crucifixes, his strange fascination with revolvers, and not to mention how he always seemed to be looking out the window at night. Mikuni would insist it was Vampires that made him like this, and would even talk to me about things he had read in father's journals, given that he had broken into father's office a few times and had yet to get caught. We would always talk about Vampires, play Vampire games, and on one Halloween we requested to dress as the creatures. Our suspicion only grew when father refused to let that be our Halloween costumes on the grounds that "Vampires are too common".

Mikuni was a genius, in both the book sense and the street sense. He knew more about Vampires than I did, and I was extremely impressed. I envy him now, for his intellect and his strength and his charm, but back when I was only five or six years old, Mikuni to me seemed like a god, a king, something to worship. I wanted to be just like him when I grew up, and I told him that straight to his face. I remember so clearly the way he smiled at me, blinked his eyes, cocked his head, and said:

“No, you don’t.”

I didn’t get it at the time.

It was when I was seven years old that I lost Mikuni and my mother to a Vampire. My father didn’t want me knowing the truth, and attempted to lie to me, saying that Mikuni had ran away, and my mother had gone out to look for him, but they still hadn’t come back and might never return. Unfortunately for him, I remembered something Mikuni had told me about a Vampire stalking us, being seen walking around our property, and that it would probably attack soon. After recalling everything Mikuni told me about the creatures, and after remembering our father's remark last Halloween, I dared to ask:

“Are Vampires real, papa?”

The look on his face, I will never forget. The pure horror in his eyes, the way his entire body tensed up, the way he looked out the window as if looking for Vampires, or the person who told me Vampires exist. He tried to relax and laugh it off, and he tried to lie to me again, saying they weren’t real, but then I asked something else:

“Did a Vampire kill mama and Mikuni?”

The same tension, the same horrified face, the same glance out the window, and father knew he couldn’t lie to me anymore. However, he refused to tell me what happened to mother and Mikuni. All he told me was that yes, Vampires are real, and some have been seen near our house, but I shouldn’t worry about it, since he and the servants would protect me. I remember excitement radiating through my body, because Mikuni had been right. I started thinking about Vampires a lot, wondering if I would ever see one, meet one, or anything like that. But that excitement faded quickly when I remembered the tragedy.

“What happened to mama and Mikuni?” I asked again, but he told me the same old fake story again. He didn’t want me to know the truth, but being the smart little kid I was, I knew what had happened: a Vampire had killed them, just like a Vampire had killed my grandfather, and just like a Vampire had killed several of my favorite servants.

Once father left the room, I knew what I had to do. I couldn’t just lay in bed anymore. I had to get stronger, I had to learn how to fight, and I had to avenge mother and Mikuni. I had to kill that Vampire, that real-life Vampire that took them from me, but I couldn't do that from my bed. 

I forced myself out of bed, and I struggled to walk across my room. It took almost all of my strength, and I once I reached the other side, I collapsed on the floor. After a full minute of gasping for breath and struggling to stay conscious, I forced myself up again and walked back to my bed. I promptly fell onto it and passed out.

I did this every single day, at least once, until I could walk from my bed to the far side of the room and back again without fainting. Some days, it was harder than others. Some days I could walk a full lap around my room no problem, and other days I couldn’t even stand without getting dizzy and fatigued. It took a long time, probably several months, until I could walk three laps around my room without falling unconscious from sheer exhaustion.

After being confined to my bedroom for way too long, I had a goal in mind. My goal, as of the day I could walk three laps without fainting, was that I wanted to be able to get up and walk to a different room without passing out. I wanted to no longer need the servants to carry me when I desired a change of scenery. I wanted my papa to be proud of me. Walking wasn’t enough for me; I wanted to be able to run down my bedroom stairs and all the way to the front door to greet my papa when he came back from business trips.

I wanted to be as physically capable of average everyday movement as the servants. I wanted to be able to play physically demanding games like Mikuni. I wanted to be able to climb a tree, to play tag, to catch butterflies in the garden, just like Mikuni could.

Once I could walk three laps around my bedroom, I tackled the staircase in my tower. I began walking down it and up it again every single day, no matter how exhausted it made me. At first, I always passed out at the top of the stairs, but gradually I stopped losing consciousness there, and made it to my bed again before fainting. I did this every day for an entire year, and then some. My father was away on business that entire year, and hadn’t seen my improvements, unlike the servants, who congratulated me on getting well again. By the end of that year, I was able to walk down the stairs, down the hallway, and to the front door, and the only price was that I would be slightly out of breath by the time I reached it.

That had been my goal: to be able to make it down the stairs and to the front door so I could greet my father when he returned. Some of the servants told me he would be coming back on my tenth birthday, so I was excited to be able to go downstairs on my own and greet him. A few maids insisted that they walk behind me or beside me just in case I fell, and just so my father wouldn’t have a heart attack when he saw me. I agreed to their terms, because I desperately wanted to show my father that I could walk.

My tenth birthday, when he got home, it was time. I stood up, one maid on either side of me offering her hands, which I declined. I descended the stairs of my tower, grabbing the railing instead of the hands of the maids. I felt slightly out of breath already, but I refused to give in. I made it down, walked in the direction of the front door, maids still ready and willing to give me assistance if I required it.

I watched, for the first time in a long time, as servants opened the door for my father, and he walked inside. I was so excited at the time that I broke away from the maids, sprinted as fast as I could at my father, and threw my arms around him, crying, “papa! You’re home!”

I wish I could’ve seen his face. I’m sure the shock on it was immeasurable. I remember him hugging me, him laughing and crying at the same time, and him exclaiming, “Misono! You’re out of bed! And you just ran all by yourself!”

I told that story for a reason: that was the moment that father realized he couldn’t hide things from me anymore. That was the moment he realized that I’m not just a sickly little child who will be in bed all the time. That I could get stronger, that I could become well again if I tried hard enough. It was that day, my tenth birthday, that father decided to teach me all he could about Vampires, so I would be able to protect myself in case one decided to attack me.

He didn’t want me going after them myself, actively hunting the way some of our servants did. No, he just wanted to teach me self defense in case one broke in. He gave me a spray can of holy water for my bedside table, in case one got into my room, and he told me it would burn the Vampire and cause it pain, so it would leave me alone. He told me everything dangerous about Vampires that he could think of: that they have bright red eyes, sharp fangs, that they bite, that they scratch, that they hurt people, and that they’re also beautiful. That they can manipulate anyone they desire. That one could trick me into thinking it was super nice and friendly, and then turn around and bite my neck and drain every last drop of blood from my body. I promptly asked if Mikuni was a Vampire, which father responded by saying I shouldn’t ask about Mikuni anymore, since he’s no longer with us.

I thought papa meant dead, so I lived a long time thinking a Vampire had killed Mikuni. Turns out, Mikuni is alive, and that a Vampire didn’t kill him, but made a contract with him. Papa never told me about Servamps; I had to learn about those on my own, from reading grandpa’s journals, and the journals papa kept.

A few years later was the day I lost my father. I heard the commotion downstairs, and instead of hiding like I should have, I ran down to check on everyone. I saw blood, I saw death, I saw servants screaming and Vampires hissing and baring their fangs. I saw things that no child should ever see. Then, I saw my father, firing a gun at the dangerous creatures that looked like little demon children.

My father saw me, and ran for me. He grabbed me and took me somewhere to hide; a closet underneath some staircase in our house. That’s also when he gave me the pocketwatch. It used to belong to his father. He told me to hold onto it, that it would protect me, that it’s very important to our family, that I shouldn’t let it out of my sight. We hid there for a while, until papa had to go back out and fight. He told me that it would someday be me protecting everyone.

I think that’s the day father realized he couldn’t shelter me anymore, that I had seen everything, that I now knew what Vampires were capable of.

Outside that hiding place became quiet, and I emerged and went back to where the fight had been raging. I saw so many dead people that you wouldn’t believe it. I stepped through puddles of blood, over severed limbs, dead eyes stared at me from all directions. The air seemed to be filled with dust and ash, like Vampire energy, like Vampire blood, like Vampire souls. The few servants that survived had fled already, and didn't come back until a few days later. The Vampire that had survived stood right in front of me, right over a dead body that I knew all too well: my father's.

I had shouted, “You monster!” and the thing looked at me, blond hair, pale skin, a look of regret on its face. If not for its piercing red eyes, it might’ve looked human. Without thinking I picked up a gun off the floor and tried to kill it. Every shot missed, since I had never shot a gun before. It ran out the door, and I chased after it, desperate to kill it for what it did to my father. I didn’t make it very far before I fell to my knees, crying, screaming, still not quite strong enough to chase it as far as I wanted to. Not to mention, it was the dead of winter, and I had ran outside barefoot with no coat.

Someone heard me screaming, and went to try to bring me back into the house. It had been Dodo, the chauffeur, one of the only servants to survive that attack. He held me until I fainted from hypothermia, and then brought me back into the house.

When I woke up again, I still felt rage and grief beyond belief, and I kept crying that it had gotten away. Dodo assured me it wouldn’t get away next time.

Servants and adults prepared the funeral for my father, some adults that I didn’t even recognize. They must’ve been colleagues of my father’s from work. A lot of them spoke English, and it surprised them when I could speak it just fine as well. Being so sick gave me a lot of time to learn another language or two, and I always loved foreign languages. They asked who I was, and I responded with my name. One of the servants told them I was Mikado Alicein’s child, his only heir, and they couldn’t believe their eyes. I must’ve looked weak, or pathetic in their eyes, and there didn’t seem to be any way I could be the heir to my father’s fortune. That’s when Mitsuki, one of the only other servants to survive the Vampire attack, asked me to play chess with her. I knew she had played chess with father before, so she must be pretty good at it, but once I beat her, my father’s colleagues lost any doubt that I could take over the Alicein Manor.

At the reading of father’s will, his fortune had been left to me. Given how young I was at the time, though, I couldn’t control any finances. I still can’t. I won’t be able to until I turn eighteen, and even then my access to his reserves will still be limited until I’m twenty-three (at least I think that’s the age. I’m still not quite sure. Even so, I have zero interest in my father’s money right now). Right now it’s Mitsuki and a few other financial advisers who control the funds. What I control is the allowance I’m given every week, which isn’t even a fraction of my father’s entire fortune.

Father’s funeral was rough. I didn’t want to be there at all, and not having Mikuni only made it worse. The servants did their best to comfort me, though they didn’t do much to ease my pain. I couldn’t stop thinking about that blond Vampire with red eyes, the one that killed my father. I had to get revenge. I had to do something. That’s when I vowed to hunt Vampires, just like my father had done.

That’s what started everything. That’s what led to this moment, where I’m locked in my closet with a bloodthirsty beast outside the door. If I don’t make it out alive, at least now you know why I decided to forget my safety and put my life at risk to eradicate these terrible creatures from existence.

I’m sorry, papa. I know you just wanted to keep me safe, but you can’t expect me to run away and hide forever. That Vampire killed you, and now I have to kill it, too.

* * *

 

Misono closes the book, and listens again. That Vampire is still outside: Misono can hear its heavy breathing. However, it isn’t clawing at the door anymore. Misono thinks for a bit, and then decides that no, it still isn’t quite safe to leave the closet yet. But that doesn’t stop him from speaking.

“Snowlily?” he says.

The breathing stops for a moment, and then continues again.

“Snowlily, talk to me. Are you alright, now? You’re not going to kill me, are you?”

“Misono…” It speaks, its voice sounding slightly off-putting. There’s a demonic undertone, one of cold-blooded mercilessness, like the Devil speaking through a vessel. “I’m… I’m sorry…”

 _I have to stop being so angry._ Misono tells himself. Instead of thinking about the Vampire outside the door, he tries to think other things from his past. He forces himself to remember his illness, his weakness, the servants caring for him, the rare occasions where his father stopped working long enough to read him a book, or play chess with him. That’s what he tries his hardest to think about; the times before Vampires became a concern of his.

Gradually, he hears Snowlily’s breathing calm down. That Vampire can feel his emotions, after all, and reacts to them accordingly. Even though Misono is still grieving and angry at his core, he forces that to manifest as reminiscence, not anger and vengeance.

“Snowlily,” he says again.

“Miso… I mean, master,” the Vampire responds.

His voice is back to normal, back to that soft, sweet voice he had before. Misono lets out a sigh of relief, and stares at the notebook on the floor. “You really scared me, Snowlily.”

“I know; I’m sorry.” Misono hears as Snowlily sits down, with his back to the door.

Misono does the same, on the other side. The two sitting back to back, that closet door the only thing separating them.

“I’d call Shirota and tell him he doesn’t have to come anymore, but my cell phone is dead,” Misono says. “He’s going to think he has to fight you.”

“He might just have to fight me. I’m still a little on-edge.” Snowlily takes a breath. “I had no idea just how deeply rooted your anger is. Had I known that, I wouldn’t have told you how to make the contract permanent.”

“I would’ve known that anyway. Papa’s journals have all of the information on Servamps that he could find. We have information from over a hundred years ago, as far back as our family can be traced. We’ve hated your kind for a long time.”

Snowlily growls on the other side of the door. Misono can’t force his anger back for much longer.

“What happened?” Misono asks. “What do you remember on the day you killed my father? I know you told me it before, but you didn’t share a lot of details. All I know is you and your subclass dared to fight the Alicein family and their servants, and you payed the price for it. And then you dared to slaughter my father in cold blood.”

“You’re wrong.” Snowlily’s voice is edged with anger as he remembers that day, remembers everything.

His subclass all dying, aside from the two that were smart enough to flee. Servants being torn apart as small children kill them and bite them and suck their blood. The pure horror of seeing children doing something so vile, so cruel, so terrible, and Snowlily wishing he could stop them and run, but those children are too far into their game, and those servants are cold-blooded and merciless, slaughtering every Vampire that comes too close.

Snowlily looking and seeing as a small child came down the stairs, and feeling a jolt of fear that the subclass will kill that boy, until he sees Mikado Alicein sprinting toward that child to take him somewhere safe. Snowlily watching as Mikado lifted that kid into his arms and ran out of the room, only to come back a few moments later, firing that gun as if he hadn’t just saved the life of a small boy.

Mikado Alicein, aiming that gun right at Snowlily’s chest and swearing that he will kill him. Snowlily being forced to attack to save his own life, and them immediately regretting what he had done. Snowlily, attempting to save that man’s life, cutting his finger with his fangs and attempting to turn him, attempting to make sure that little boy doesn’t have to be an orphan. It being too late, Mikado having already died, Snowlily realizing that there’s nothing he can do.

“What am I wrong about?” Misono asks.

“I didn’t kill your father in cold blood. I killed him in self defense. He had a gun to my chest and was going to shoot me. Even if that wouldn’t have killed me, it would’ve hurt. Besides, it was under his orders that the servants were slaughtering my subclass, a bunch of little orphaned children who didn't know any better than to obey me.” Snowlily stops for a breath. “I didn’t just slaughter him for no reason. And…”

Snowlily doesn’t finish, and Misono presses him. “And?”

“And… I tried to save him. Once I realized what I had done.” Snowlily stops for another breath, sounding on the verge of tears. “I saw him take you away, out of that room, to protect you. I didn’t want you to lose him. Once I realized what I had done, I did everything I could to try to save him, but it was too late.”

Misono’s heart starts to ache, and he wants that pain to go away so badly. Snowlily, this cold-blooded monster had attempted to save his father? That doesn’t make any sense. That Vampire doesn’t care about the lives of humans. Humans are nothing but prey to it.

Are they?

The sound of Snowlily whimpering makes it sound almost like they aren’t, almost like Snowlily does care. It could just be an act, a lie to get Misono to open the door and go out so Snowlily can kill him, but something tells Misono that that isn’t the case at all.

“You… you tried to save my father?” Misono asks.

“Yes.”

That yes shatters Misono’s entire world. “But… why?”

Snowlily takes a breath, this one shaking more than the rest. “Because… the last thing I wanted was to leave you alone. Doubt Doubt, the Servamp of Envy, he’s the one who killed your mother, and stole your brother from you. Your entire family thinks we’re evil and merciless, and I thought perhaps I could change that. Stupid of me, I know, but I’m the baby brother of the Servamps. I guess I’m young and naive.” Misono can hear the smile in that Vampire’s voice. “But… when I killed your father, I… I knew right then I was just as bad as the rest. That man was just trying to protect his family, just like I was. And then I thought of you, losing your entire family to us, and I didn’t want to be the reason you lost everyone. I don’t want to be the reason that anyone loses anyone, actually. All lives are valuable, everyone has people who care about them and would cry and grieve if they were gone. I tried to save him. I went so far as to cut my fingers and stick them in his mouth, trying to get him to drink my blood, but it… it was too late. You can’t make a subclass Vampire when the human is already dead. If I had been a few seconds sooner, maybe, but… even then I’m sure it was an instant death.”

This can’t be a lie, can it?

But this can’t be true, can it?

Misono doesn’t know what to think, doesn’t know if he should believe this Vampire or not. This could be a lie, this could be the manipulative nature of Vampires, or this could be genuine. Snowlily could just be this sweet, kind, caring, loving Vampire.

Ha, that's funny. Sweet, kind, caring, loving _Vampire_? No way. Vampires aren’t any of those things.

But Snowlily, he truly does seem to regret what he’s done. Why would he keep up this charade for so long? It’s clear Misono and the servants won’t fall for it, so why bother continuing? Does he have a sliver of hope that they’ll start to believe him, or is it true? And even Mikuni didn’t seem to fear Snowlily at all when they ran into each other. He even told Misono that Snowlily was the least dangerous one of them all, and they talked as if they were old friends.

Should Misono believe him?

“Let’s… let’s say I do believe you,” Misono tries. “What would you do?”

“If you believe me? Well…” Snowlily takes a breath. “I guess I would… I don’t know if anything would change, honestly. Would you still try to kill my siblings?”

Would he?

“Your siblings aren’t caring, like you are. They seem cold-blooded to me.” Misono shuts his eyes and thinks. “Especially that Tsubaki one.”

“Tsubaki isn’t my sibling. None of us consider him part of the family.” Snowlily pauses. “I think, Misono, I would take care of you, if you believed me. I would… I’d be your new mother, and you’d be like my child. I’d make sure that nothing bad ever happened to you again, that you would never be sad again. I would love you, and cherish you, and help you get over your grief, and try my best to make you happy. That’s what I would do. And since I’m immortal, you wouldn’t have to worry about losing me, ever.”

Misono’s eyes widen, and he feels his heart start to beat a lot harder than it normally does. His eyes are stinging, a lump is rising in his throat. Is this Vampire… is this real? Why does it sound so appealing? Why is it all Misono ever wanted? Is this just how manipulative these creatures are?

Just someone who cares, someone like his father who would do anything for him. Even if he can’t get his father back, even if the servants don’t feel the same as family, even if Mitsuki and Dodo try to be his parents, they can’t compare. Yet, for some reason, this kind, loving, caring Vampire feels just like a parent should feel. So gentle, so sweet, even if it’s just the voice coming through the door, Misono can feel the warmth and love.

Even if it’s a lie, Misono wants to believe it. Maybe he can just believe it, just for now, just pretend it’s not a front, not fake.

Suddenly, there’s a sound of shattering glass.

“Misono! We’re here to rescue you!” The voice of Mahiru comes through the closet door.

“Wait, Shirota!” Misono shouts, trying to open the door. He only just then remembers the zip tie, and realizes - painfully - that he doesn’t have anything to cut it with unless there happens to be a knife somewhere in there.

“Don’t worry!” Mahiru yells again. “Sakuya’s here, too! He wants to help!”

“Sakuya!? Watanuki Sakuya!?” Misono shrieks in disbelief. “Shirota, you stupid bastard, why would you bring him!?”

There’s so much shouting, so much screaming.

Why is everyone yelling?

What's that sound?

Is that a sword? A knife? What is that?

And why is Snowlily screaming?

“STOP! STOP!”

Misono suddenly feels pain from deep within his soul.

“SHIROTA! LEAVE HIM ALONE! HE’S BACK TO NORMAL NOW!” Misono starts slamming on the door. “SHIROTA!”

“I’M NOT DOING IT!” Shirota cries in response. “Kuro isn’t even in human form! SAKUYA! LEAVE HIM ALONE!”

Misono slams on the door even harder, hoping he could burst it open or kick it down or somehow break the zip tie. “SHIROTA! HELP ME GET OUT OF HERE!”

“SAKUYA, CUT IT OUT!”

“STOP! YOU’RE HURTING ME!”

“SHIROTA! GET ME OUT OF HERE! BREAK THE DOOR DOWN!”

“KURO! SWITCH FORMS YOU LAZY CAT!”

The shouting is going to alert the servants. Misono just knows it. There’s no way those servants can’t hear what’s going on, and the moment they storm into the room, it’s going to be complete chaos.

There’s another set of footsteps coming.

The door just opened.

"STAND DOWN! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN THE ALICEIN MANOR!?"

That's Mitsuki.

So much shouting, so much chaos, so much screaming. Misono is banging on the door, crying at the top of his lungs that he wants out of that closet, but nobody can hear him over the chaos outside. Nobody can hear him, or nobody cares. Honestly, Mitsuki is probably just glad he’s safe in there. Not just Mitsuki: Snowlily and Mahiru, they're all glad he's in there. They don’t want him out during this. 

Especially Mitsuki, though. If Misono dies, where would the Alicein family fortune go? He's the only heir, after all. It's not like Mikuni can just come back and take everything over. The servants still shun him, refuse to speak his name, even though Mikado is dead.

Dead, just like Snowlily will be if Misono doesn’t get out of there in time.

“LET ME OUT OF HERE NOW!” Misono demands.

Something comes through the door, and Misono shrieks and falls backwards. Strange, claw-like appendages made out of some strange energy, with weird pale blue auras around and through it. Once they retract, the door is completely obliterated, and Kuro and Mahiru are on the other side, staring at him.

“It’s not us,” Mahiru says. “It’s Sakuya. He just came in here and attacked. I don’t know what he wants to do.”

“How stupid are you!?” Misono glares at him. “Sakuya is Tsubaki’s subclass, you stupid bastard! He’s not here to help you; he’s here to help his master!”

Misono looks across the room at the nightstand, which currently houses his gun in one of the drawers. He sprints across the room, through the complete mess that’s happening right now. Mitsuki has her gun aimed, and based on the few bullet holes in the wall, she's already fired and missed several times.

“Mitsuki!” Misono shouts. “Let me take care of this!”

“Are you sure!?” She looks at him in disbelief, and then notices the stare he has. That cold, determined stare reminds her so much of Mikado that she actually lowers her gun and gives him a firm nod, though she stays in the room, just in case. “There’s three Vampires in here!”

“I know, but only one is dangerous!” Misono grabs his gun and looks around, his eyes finally landing on Sakuya. He has a strange weapon, a sword of some kind, one that has a strange red aura and energy through and around it. It must be from Tsubaki, and it’s apparently too powerful for Snowlily to handle.

Without hesitating, Misono aims his gun and fires.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a bit of trivia: This entire chapter, except for the end, is based on "Dracul", a book I started reading. It's written by the great grandnephew of Bram Stoker, the author behind the famous Gothic Vampire classic "Dracula". The book starts with the character Bram Stoker waiting in a tower to face a great evil just outside the door, which is probably a Vampire (Misono hiding in the closet), and he writes down his entire past in a journal. In addition to a bunch of other weird events that occurred in his life, he writes about being a sickly child, bedridden in his parents' home with his sister being the one who kept him the most company and relayed town gossip to him to entertain him. I haven't even come close to finishing it yet, but Dracul is really good so far and I highly recommend it if you're into Vampire stuff. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! See you in the next one!


	18. Fire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vampires in the Alicein mansion is never a good thing; it's the Alicein family curse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry it's been so long, but here! At last, here's an update! I hope you enjoy it!

 

The bullet whizzes right over Sakuya’s head as he ducks. A split second later and he runs at Misono, raising that strange sword that he must have gotten from Tsubaki.

“Master!”

Snowlily is quicker, thankfully, and summons his scythe before Sakuya can bring that sword down on Misono’s head. Now the only thing separating Misono and Sakuya is Snowlily himself, holding his scythe in front of him, trying to push Sakuya away.

“You know what this sword can do, right?” Sakuya says. “It was given to me by master Tsubaki. It can nullify the weapons of other True Vampires.”

Snowlily’s scythe begins to crack in his hands. He can barely hold on to save his life, and no matter how much energy he pours into it, that scythe will not stay in one piece. Misono stands there only for a moment longer before shouting:

“RUN, SNOWLILY!”

“Yes, master!”

Snowliyl releases his scythe, and it vanishes. A split second later and they take off running out of the room, Sakuya quickly taking off after them. Mahiru is stunned for a second before running as well, Kuro not far behind.

Mitsuki is the last one out, though it isn’t long before she’s right behind her young master, her gun at the ready.

“Snowlily!?” That’s the first thing she asks, and it doesn’t take a genius to know why.

“Yes, I formed a contract.” Misono is starting to pant. He can’t! Not now! That illness can’t come back right at this moment of all moments! “I did it for my own benefit; the only thing that can effectively kill another Servamp is a Servamp, and this one is the least harmful of them all.”

“Young master, why would you do that!? What would your father think!?”

“My father is dead!” Misono snaps. “Besides, it’s not like I did it because I wanted to. I did it because it was necessary.”

Mitsuki stops talking after that, mostly because Mikado’s fate comes back to her right at that moment, rendering her completely silent. After a minute, she speaks again. “Which Vampire do I shoot at?”

“The Servant Vampire with green hair,” Misono answers. “His name is Watanuki Sakuya, and he wants me dead.”

“Yes, master.”

She turns her head over her shoulder, and sees Sakuya coming fast up behind them. She aims and fires, but he blocks it with that strange weapon of his. It’s going to be nearly impossible to hit him if he keeps that up.

“Run outside,” she suggests, “the sunlight will-”

“Sunlight doesn’t hurt this one,” Misono aims and fires his own gun; Sakuya blocks the bullet again just as effortlessly. “I noticed it when I first met him that he was able to walk down the street in broad daylight without… without turning into jin… I can’t run any faster!”

 _Not now! Come on!_ Misono struggles to keep himself going. Why now of all times is he starting to feel fatigued? Of all the times for that awful exhaustion to return, it had to be now. Of course it couldn’t have waited until his life wasn’t in immediate danger.

A split second later and his feet leave the ground. It takes him a moment to realize that Snowlily had picked him up. Misono had never felt this fast before, never ran at the speed of a Vampire. Something about it feels freeing, despite being confined to the arms of his Servamp.

Not to mention, the feeling of being safely scooped up into someone’s arms again reminds him of the times when he would be carried down the stairs, or carried up the stairs, or just carried somewhere else in general. Despite how much he hated being carried at that time of his life, he hasn’t felt secure since then. There’s something about being cradled against another person’s chest that makes him feel so safe.

Though, of course, he’s anything but safe right now. There’s a bloodthirsty monster chasing him, and if he doesn't do something about him, there’s a good chance that they all could end up dead, or very close to dead.

“Can you do anything about him?” Snowlily asks Mitsuki, referring to Sakuya, who can’t quite run at the speed of a True Vampire, but could certainly take out Mitsuki, and is nearly close enough to grab her hair.

“Possibly.” As quickly as she can, she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a spray can. That must be holy water. She skids to a stop and sprays it right at Sakuya’s face.

He lets out a shriek and falls to the ground, the holy water burning his skin. It gives Mahiru and Kuro enough time to catch up, though Mahiru remembers just how quickly Sakuya recovered from the holy water the first time he got sprayed with it. He recovered faster than Kuro did, and sure enough, Sakuya is back on his feet in less than a minute.

He’s surrounded: Mahiru and Kuro are behind him, ready to stop him if he tries to run and defend Misono and Snowlily if he tries to attack; Misono, Mitsuki, and Snowlily are all in front of him, ready to do the same thing if the need arises. Snowlily had even put his Eve down, to make it look less awkward and childish.

“Sakuya,” Mahiru says, “I can’t believe you would lie to me.”

“It wasn’t a complete lie,” Sakuya responds, that sword still in his hands, the tension still in his body. He’s more than ready to attack. “Besides, I’m just following Tsubaki’s orders. You know I can’t refuse.”

“You can’t refuse to his face, but certainly you can-”

“He’d know. He knows everything. He’s been watching me like a hawk ever since his other servants were killed.” Sakuya glares right at Misono. “Don’t you know about that? It’s your servants who are going around slaughtering every Vampire they see. We’re more powerful than the average subclass, but even we don’t stand a chance against the kind of weapons you guys have.”

Misono glares, his expression cold and unfeeling. “Leave, right now, and I might spare you.”

They stare each other down. Mitsuki aims her gun, ready to fire at her master’s command. Snowlily is tense, ready to dive at Sakuya if need be. Mahiru has his Lead out and is ready to knock someone against the wall if that’s what has to go down. Kuro is standing there, ready to do whatever Mahiru orders him to, though he really wishes Sakuya would just leave, so he wouldn’t have to do anything at all.

“I’m not the only one of Tsubaki’s servants left,” Sakuya says. “There are a few more. Higan is still around. So are Belkia and Otogiri. We’re not completely gone, but our numbers have been greatly reduced. It sucks that those are the only ones I can think of that haven’t died yet.”

“Maybe it’s a good thing your numbers have gone down,” Misono growls. “I know Tsubaki’s subclass are some of the most dangerous, and I know Tsubaki wants nothing more than to watch both the Aliceins and the Servamps fall.”

“Maybe it’s a good thing for you, but it’s not a good thing for us.” Sakuya glares. “You have no idea how Tsubaki feels right now. He’s lost so many of them, and even if you think he’s not capable of caring, he is. He does. He loves his servants like they’re his family. Imagine what that must be like, losing your family one by one by one by one…”

Misono’s entire body tenses as the thoughts rush back to him. Blood flying, people screaming, servants falling, Vampires snarling, and his father lying in the middle of the floor with that blond Vampire looming over him…

No, Snowlily had tried to save his father. He’d attacked by accident, attacked in self-defense, and then immediately regretted it…

No, those emotions that Snowlily showed were fake, plastic, just like every other emotion a Vampire has. All they know how to do is kill. Kill, and lie. Kill, and lie, and manipulate. That’s what Snowlily…

Behind him, he hears Snowlily starting to growl. Misono immediately tenses again, though that doesn’t seem to help how his Servamp feels. That deeply rooted anger… any time it comes back to the surface, Snowlily seems to feel it. The last thing Misono wants is for that sweet Vampire to turn into the cold-blooded beast it is at its core.

“Imagine,” Sakuya goes on, “feeling completely hopeless as you watch your family fall, piece by piece, until there’s only a few left holding the entire puzzle together. Imagine that, only having three of your family left.”

“I only have two left,” Snowlily accidentally says out loud. He thinks about Yuri and Mary. They’re somewhere in the Alicein mansion, in a room that Misono confirmed hasn’t been used in years. That’s where they live, now, and they’re safe as far as Snowlily is aware. The thought of not knowing their whereabouts or status strikes fear into his heart. Tsubaki probably feels the same way.

“I never had any to begin with,” Kuro says, showing just how little he cares about this situation.

“Just imagine it,” Sakuya says. “I know you like Mahiru, now that you’ve got a contract with him. Imagine losing him.”

Misono can still feel his entire body trembling. Behind him, Snowlily is just as tense. It’s only a moment later before Misono swears he can hear Snowlily’s voice in his head, speaking to him telepathically. If that’s a power of Vampires, then he didn’t know it until now.

_Master, please… I can’t stand this…_

With a heavy heart, Misono tries to swallow his emotions, to no avail. “Snowlily, can you get us out of here?”  he whispers.

“I can use an illusion and distract him, and then we can escape,” Snowlily answers in an even quieter voice. “But something tells me that escaping right now wouldn’t be a good idea.”

“What’s telling you that?”

“Call it Vampire’s intuition, but I can sense a presence in this manor that probably shouldn’t be.”

That instantly puts Misono further on edge, and Snowlily finds himself looking around in an almost paranoid fashion.

Meanwhile, Mahiru is still attempting to get through to Sakuya, though that doesn't seem to be working at all.

“I did lose my family,” Mahiru answers. “My uncle is the only family I have left.”

“Yeah, but you’ve gotten over it since.” Sakuya answers. “This is happening right now, Mahiru. This is what’s happening to Tsubaki.”

“Sakuya, I’ll never get over it.” Mahiru feels his eyes starting to sting, and quickly forces those feelings back. “But that doesn't mean I’m going to go around killing everyone who drives a car because my mom died in a car accident.”

“That’s different,” Sakuya turns away. “You don’t get it. You’ll never get it, just like you’ll never get anything. I love you, Mahiru, but you’re too naive. Way too naive to be involved in this Vampire stuff.”

“I may be naive,” Mahiru steps forward. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t try, and learn, and do what I can to help you all get past your feud and at least learn to tolerate one another’s existence. I know you can’t be friends, can’t get along, but you can at least be civil with one another.”

“Ha!” Sakuya throws his head back and laughs. “Mahiru, that’s funny. The Aliceins won’t put Vampires on trial to determine which ones are fair to give the death penalty. All we are to them is cold-blooded beasts who invade their mansion and slaughter them one by one. And all they are to us are cold-blooded hunters who go around slaughtering us one by one because we’re those cold-blooded beasts who kill them. Face it: you can’t do anything about this. This war will go on until one side is completely wiped out. There is no peace treaty, there is no negotiation, and there certainly is no compromise. This is a bloody battle with no end in sight, and it won’t end until the rivers run red and the grass turns crimson.”

“You’re wrong, Sakuya. There’s always a way to end a war peacefully.”

“Not if both sides are stubborn as hell.” Sakuya turns and looks at Misono. “What’re you whispering about?”

That snaps Misono out of his little conversation with Snowlily. Now’s the time to figure out if Sakuya wants to live or if Sakuya wants to die.

“My whispering doesn’t concern you,” Misono says, aiming his gun at Sakuya. “I’ll give you sixty seconds, one minute, to decide: leave and be spared, or stay here and be killed.”

“Sixty seconds,” Sakuya scoffs. “That’s funny. That’s about as much time as it’ll take for you to realize that I said what I said for a reason.”

Misono struggles to remember what Sakuya had said before Snowlily took his focus away from the subclass before him. “What do you mean by that?”

Sakuya looks him dead in the eyes. “I’m not Tsubaki’s only subclass. There are a few more of us around. Otogiri, Belkia, Higan, those are the only three I can think of off the top of my head. I’d say Shamrock if I knew where he was.” A moment passes, and Sakuya tilts his head. “You still don’t get it.”

“Nope.” Misono growls, wishing he understood what this Vampire meant. Why now of all times are his mind and body starting to fail him? “And I lost count, thanks to you, so you might get a few more seconds to live if you explain to me your train of thought.”

“There are more around. Around, as in, nearby.” Sakuya narrows his eyes. “You don’t seriously think I randomly decided to join Mahiru’s little rescue mission, do you? No, this was planned from the start. And if I’m correct, then in about fifteen more seconds, you’ll figure out what they were all doing here.” He glances over his shoulder, and then back at Misono. “How much time do I have left to decide?”

“Ten seconds.”

“I choose to leave, then.”

With that, he takes off down the hallway, leaving them all standing there, trying to figure out what he meant. The first one is Mitsuki, who immediately sprints off, shouting,

“They’re in the Alicein Manor!”

That snaps Misono back to reality. “Dammit! Why did it take me so long to figure that out!?”

“Oh, this can’t be good,” Snowlily looks down at Misono. “Master, what should we do?”

A really loud alarm goes off, sending a piercing beeping sound through the whole hallway and every room in it. Kuro covers his ears, and Mahiru winces.

Misono instantly recognizes it. “That’s the fire alarm! Come on!”

They all take off down the hallway, following Misono’s lead.

“They’re going to burn your mansion down!?” Mahiru shouts.

“Either that or the servants set it on fire to kill the Vampires,” Misono answers. “We’ve risked that a few times during Vampire break-ins.”

“Don’t your sprinklers go off and put the fire out?”

“Usually, but when we set it purposely we turn them off.”

At that moment, sprinklers go off, soaking all of them, drenching them in a spray of cold water. They all scream, though they know it’s just water. It’s a normal human reaction, though, when something cold touches you out of nowhere.

“So it wasn’t the servants!” Misono shouts over the alarm and the sprinklers. “Those stupid Vampires! We need to catch them!”

Mahiru thinks back to Sakuya’s behavior just a few moments ago. Of course, he had been lying. Kuro’s suspicion had been correct, so why hadn’t Mahiru trusted his Servamp?

Because he wanted to believe Sakuya was still his friend. He wanted to believe that the Sakuya he knew and loved was still there, buried deep beneath his status as a servant Vampire. That’s why he had completely ignored Kuro and blindly trusted his best friend…

No, ex-best friend. That old Sakuya is apparently long gone, and had apparently been fake that whole time. All of Mahiru’s memories were fake. Those joyful, happy moments they had shared had been completely fabricated so Sakuya could get closer to him. All Sakuya had wanted that entire time was Mahiru’s blood.

That thought hurts. It breaks Mahiru’s heart, but he tries his best to ignore it. Besides, there’s more important things to worry about right now. For example, whatever the hell Sakuya had just caused.

Is Mahiru seriously blaming Sakuya for this entire thing? Is he now blaming Sakuya for the fire in the mansion? Is he blaming Sakuya for Tsubaki’s subclass infiltrating the Alicein manor?

Yes, he is, because for some reason Mahiru can’t seem to think that it’s Tsubaki’s doing. Honestly, this entire thing seems like a plan of Sakuya’s to get Mahiru away from Misono, to get Mahiru back on his good side, to get close to him again. If Sakuya really wants Mahiru that badly, then he’s going to have to fight a lot harder than this.

No, not even fight. He’s going to have to surrender for real this time, run away from Tsubaki, forget his identity as a Vampire, pretend to be human again, and make sure everything goes back to the way it was. Maybe then, and only then, will Mahiru forgive him and believe anything he says.

They burst through a set of doors, down another hallway, and Mahiru can feel the temperature rising. “I think we’re getting close to the fire!” he shouts.

“You think!?” Misono is already starting to sweat. “It’s gotta be in this wing of the house somewhere.”

Misono skids to a stop outside of another set of doors, a wave of heat preventing him from getting any closer. That has to be where the fire is.

Everyone else skids to a stop just behind him. They can all feel that heat coming through those doors.

Those doors lead to the main room of the house, the central space, the room that Misono remembers being overrun with Vampires and Alicein servants fighting to the death on that fateful day. Even now, as he stares into the flames, he can faintly see the image of his father, attempting to subdue the Vampires that were coming at him non-stop. He sees when his father looks over, and realizes his son is right there, far too close to the danger.

“Master,” Snowlily says, resting a cold hand on Misono’s shoulder.

Misono shakes his head and forces himself back to the present. “I don’t think anyone is in there; I think they all evacuated already.”

“They better have,” Mitsuki says, “I wouldn’t doubt that those Vampires are still here with the intention of setting more fires.”

“You go see if you can track them down,” Misono orders, “I’m going in to make sure nobody’s left in that fire.”

“Young master!” Mitsuki exclaims. “You can’t!”

Misono stares at her. “It’s what my father would’ve done, and I’m expected to take his place. I have to.”

After a few moments, she gives him a firm nod and takes off down the hallway.

Misono stares at the gun that’s still in his hands. In that kind of heat, the gunpowder would probably explode. He swallows, and sets it on the ground behind him. The thought of running anywhere near that fire terrifies him, especially given how intense the heat is from outside of those doors. Just touching those handles will probably be enough to burn his skin right off his palms.

“I’m going with you,” Snowlily declares. “We can’t be too far apart, and I have to be there in case something happens.”

For some reason, the thought of Snowlily being right there comforts him. “Alright, you open the doors, then.”

“Yes, master.”

Snowlily walks up to the doors, grabs them without any sign of being in pain, and flings them open.

A wave of heat, fire, and smoke forces everyone back a few steps. That fire is raging inside of that room, burning up the wallpaper and clinging to anything made of fabric or wood. It rises up the walls nearly to the ceiling, singeing the carpets and tearing couches apart. Any time anything falls, the fire roars and grows even more intense. The entire top of the room is covered in smoke, and the fire is creeping up the grand staircase, heading for the rooms upstairs and doing everything it can to devour anything in its path.

The room looks completely void of life, but that staircase looks like it’s about to fall, and if anyone is anywhere near it…

“Come on!” Misono shouts, taking off into the room.

Snowlily looks over his shoulder. “Shut the door! I don’t want the fire to spread!”

With that, he takes off after his Eve. Mahiru and Kuro glance at each other.

“Don’t tell me you want to…” Kuro doesn’t even need to finish: the determined look on Mahiru’s face says it all. “Do you want to get killed?”

“No,” Mahiru stares into the flames, “but I do want to help.”

“How about you just find a fire extinguisher and try to put the fire out? Or you call the fire department? How about something normal instead of something completely stupid like running headfirst right into the fire?”

Mahiru starts looking around, and then, just down the hallway, he sees the bright red canister of a fire extinguisher mounted to the wall. He sprints down and grabs it, and then heads right back toward the flaming room.

“Come on, Kuro!” Mahiru orders.

Kuro stares at that burning room, wishing he could be anywhere else. “Mahiru, why?”

“I have to help Misono; he’s my friend.” Mahiru looks at Kuro. “Don't you wanna help your little brother?”

“All of Love can take care of himself.”

“Kuro, please.” Mahiru stares right into his eyes. “We can’t just let them risk their lives without us being there to help. I’d feel useless just sitting out here while they could be dying.”

Kuro stares into the eyes of his Eve, and then, after a few agonizing moments, he shuts his eyes, lets out a heavy sigh, and says, “Alright. Let’s do it.”

“Awesome! Come on!”

With that, they sprint right into the fire, Kuro pulling the doors shut behind them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a faint idea of what's going to happen, but I won't know until I write it. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! See you in the next update!


	19. Anything But Typical

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Misono runs through the fire, attempting to find anyone lost in the flames. Suddenly, he hears a shout at the top of the grand staircase, and dares to run up to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again! New chapter! I hope you enjoy!

 

The roaring pounds against his ears.

The heat melts his skin and singes his hair.

All around him is a red-orange glow and dark gray smoke.

He had to ditch his gun. If he runs into another Vampire, there’s no way to defend himself. 

It’s so hot. Too hot.

He has to run. He has to check for anyone left in this room, and then get out as quickly as possible. The longer he stays in here, the more the heat messes with his body, and the more the smoke fills his lungs. Quickly, he tells himself. Get in, do what you need to do, and then get out before you get yourself killed.

Misono takes off through the fire, looking left and right for anyone he could see. The fire obscures most of his vision, the heat and smoke forcing him to squint.

“Do you see anyone!?” he shouts over the fire.

“No!” he hears the voice of Snowlily shout back. “It’s so hot in here… maybe if I just shed a few layers…”

He hears a strange sound, and glances over his shoulder to see that Snowlily had tossed his scarf and coat aside. He nearly does the same with his shirt, but Misono quickly stops him by shouting:

“THAT’S ENOUGH!” 

Misono keeps looking around. So far, so good. No servants, no Vampires, no signs of life anywhere. That’s the way it should be when a fire is burning everything to ash. A Vampire had lit this fire. A Vampire had set everything ablaze. A Vampire had ruined everything, just like Vampires always do.  _ Shirota can think what he wants,  _ Misono tells himself,  _ but this feud won’t end. It never will. _

Vampires hate the Aliceins, probably moreso than the Aliceins hate them. Even if it’s out of fear for their lives, the hatred is still present, and there’s nothing that can be done about it. If Misono decides that the Aliceins will no longer hunt Vampires, there are plenty of Vampires who wouldn’t believe it, or wouldn’t care. A lot of Vampires are nothing more than bloodthirsty beasts, after all. The Alicein family will be attacked, and they will be forced to defend themselves against said attacks, probably making things look even worse for them. There’s nothing that can be done. Nothing at all.

For some reason, Sakuya randomly comes back to Misono’s mind. Watanuki Sakuya, one of Tsubaki’s little henchmen. The remarks he made.  _ “Imagine feeling completely hopeless as you watch your family fall, piece by piece, until there’s only a few left holding the entire puzzle together. Imagine that, only having three of your family left.” _

_ Papa…  _ Misono suddenly feels his eyes start to sting.  _ Is that what you felt? _

He almost stops running, almost breaks down completely, almost falls to tears, but then he feels a hand touch his back. A cold hand, a shockingly cold hand in the heat of the fire. That’s the hand of Snowlily, the hand of his Vampire. The Vampire that killed… no, tried to save… no killed… no… 

What is he feeling? What is he thinking?

Why is he thinking? He has to help! He has to make sure nobody is left in this fire! He has to do what his papa would’ve done had he still been alive. Now is not the time for thoughts like that, for thoughts that nearly throw him into the rabbit hole of sadness and fear. Not for the thoughts that make him feel like a little kid again, like a sickly little boy who desperately needed his father to protect him. He’s not that boy anymore. He’s stronger than that.

He makes it across the room, to the grand staircase. He stands at the bottom of it and surveys the damage. This room is completely obliterated. It’ll take a decent chunk of the family fortune to afford repairs, but at least it isn’t the entire mansion blown to smithereens. They had narrowly avoided that happening several times, with Vampires planting bombs or setting fire to their propane tanks.

Snowlily rushes over, standing beside his Eve. He looks around himself, trying to use his vision to see anything Misono missed. Fortunately, that child has trained his eyesight enough that he didn’t miss much. There’s no signs of any humans or Vampires in this room, and Snowlily can typically sense the presence of any life. 

“Do you see anything?” Misono asks.

“No, master,” Snowlily responds. “We should get out of here before-”

“HELP ME!”

Misono immediately tenses. That voice had come from upstairs. Sure, it sounds somewhat unfamiliar: it isn’t Dodo, or Mitsuki, or anybody like that, but there are several maids in this house whose voices Misono wouldn’t recognize right away. 

“SOMEONE, PLEASE! HELP!”

Misono clenches his fists. He doesn’t have a gun, or a knife, but he does have a Servamp, and that might be enough to help that poor woman screaming upstairs. 

_ “Imagine feeling completely hopeless as you watch your family fall, piece by piece, until there’s only a few left holding the entire puzzle together. Imagine that, only having three of your family left.” _

“Master,” Snowlily says, “it’s a trap, please, don’t fall for it.”

_ Just imagine that.  _

He can’t let any more Aliceins fall. He can’t let the family fall apart, disappear. He can’t let his father’s worst fear come true.

“Someone’s in danger!” Misono snaps. “I have to do something!”

“Master, the fire, the stairs, there’s no way they’ll survive much longer. Look at the-”

“SNOWLILY!” 

Misono’s shout makes Snowlily tense. He shuts his eyes and takes a breath. There’s no convincing him otherwise. Misono refuses to listen, just like always. The most Snowlily can do is be there to protect him when he does throw himself right into danger.

“Alright, go, I’m right behind you,” Snowlily says.

Misono stares at the burning staircase. If he runs fast enough, maybe, he can make it without any issues. 

Well, you never know until you try.

With nothing but his own determination, Misono gathers his strength, and then sprints up the stairs as fast as his legs can carry him. Something about them already feels unsteady. The sweat on his forehead is dripping into his eyes, and he furiously wipes it off as hard as he can. Just a few more steps now, just like when he ran down the stairs to greet his father when he was little. Just a few more steps.

He can do this, he can make it.

At last, he breaks through, reaching the top of the staircase.

Suddenly, he’s face to face with Watanuki Sakuya.

“You!” Misono growls.

“I can’t believe you fell for that,” Sakuya says, scoffing. “That’s just pathetic, especially for an Alicein like you.”

“Where is she!? Where’s the girl who screamed!?” Misono demands.

“Her?” Sakuya thrusts his thumb over his shoulder. Misono glances and spots a girl with bright red eyes and short, light purple hair. She blinks, a bored, deadpan expression on her face.

“He fell for it, huh?” She sighs. “That’s pathetic.”

Misono clenches his teeth. “I will kill all of you!”

“Pfft. Good luck with that. You might be a match for normal subclass, but Tsubaki’s servants are anything but typical.” Sakuya rests a hand on Misono’s chest. “Wow, your heart is pounding. I can only imagine what it’ll do when I do this.”

With that, he gives Misono a powerful shove backwards, and stomps on the top of the staircase. Within seconds, it begins to crumble away, falling right out from underneath Misono’s feet.

“MASTER!” Snowlily cries, diving forward. 

He wraps his arms around his Eve just as the staircase falls away from beneath them.

* * *

 

Mahiru bursts through the door. He yanks the pin out of the fire extinguisher and squeezes the trigger as tightly as he can. Instantly it sprays a large amount of foam throughout the room, putting out any flame it touches. 

“Come on, Kuro!” He shouts, taking off into the flames, spraying foam left and right and up and down, covering any and everything in it. 

Kuro runs after him, looking around for Misono and Snowlily. Sadly, he doesn’t see them, though he can sense their presences. They are in here, both of them are, and they must be close by. Kuro glances forward, his Eve is too focused on putting out the fire to even bother looking for the small human and his Servamp.

“I’m gonna go find All of Love and his Eve!” Kuro says.

“Good thinking!” Mahiru says, giving a firm nod. Kuro returns it, and takes off through the flames. 

It’s hot in here, but it doesn’t bother Kuro nearly as much as he knows it bothers Mahiru. Humans are a lot more sensitive to heat and pain, two things that fires are known to cause. Everywhere he looks, though, Kuro can’t see anything but fire and smoke. It doesn’t help how big this room is: even at full speed, it will take Kuro at least a minute or two to search it all, and with the fire and smoke slowing him down, it will only take longer. 

It isn’t Misono that he’s worried about so much as Snowlily. It’s big brother instinct, the protective nature of siblings, that’s causing him to panic so much. Forget the Alicein boy: if All of Love isn’t okay, then Kuro will definitely take revenge.

If he feels like it.

He growls at his own laziness, trying to focus on the determination coming from his Eve. Even Mahiru feels uncertain, though, wondering if he should be looking for Misono moreso than trying to put out that fire, though he keeps telling himself that putting out the fire will help him find Misono faster. He might be right, he might not be.

“Can you see them!?” Mahiru yells.

“No!” Kuro shouts back. 

Mahiru’s fire extinguisher finally runs out of steam, and he throws it aside and joins his Servamp, both of them running around the room, following Kuro’s instinct as he leads them closer, and closer. Hopefully they’ll find them soon, because if they don’t…

“There!” Kuro shouts, pointing at the grand staircase on the other side of the room. 

Mahiru follows his finger. At the top of the staircase, he can see Misono and Snowlily. He can also see Sakuya.

“Hurry!” Mahiru says, forcing himself to run even faster.

He watches as Sakuya puts his hand on Misono’s chest, and gives him a hard shove back. As Misono stumbles down the stairs, Sakuya slams his foot on the top step as hard as he can. That one little gesture created enough of a tremur for the staircase to begin to fall away.

Before he can get there, he watches as Snowlily throws his arms around his Eve right before they fall into the cloud of dust and debris.

* * *

 

Smoke is rising from the mansion.

Everyone in the entire town can see that mansion from where they stand. Once one person saw the smoke, they told another, and another, and another, until the entire town had gathered in the middle of the street to watch the smoke rise into the sky and the flames flicker in the windows. People point and shout, whisper and gossip, wondering what caused it, and if anyone was still in there.

Among those people is Mikuni Alicein.

He watches the fire, and can’t help but worry for his little brother. As strong as Misono thinks he’s become, he’s still at risk of death from just about anything. Sure, he’s gotten faster, upped his endurance, but he can’t fix everything about his body. Smoke in his lungs, for example, could definitely give him some kind of life-threatening reaction. 

Mikuni wonders if he should go up there, try to save his brother. It wouldn’t be the first time he’s jumped the fence and sneaked into the house that used to be his. He hasn’t gotten caught yet, and this certainly won’t be the time he does.

Just before he can walk away, he hears a voice behind him.

“Such a shame, isn’t it?”

He freezes. “Yeah,” he says, trying to play it off like he doesn’t know the family that lives in that house. “I hope everyone’s alright in there.”

“I hope so, too.” The person pauses. “Well, almost everyone.”

“What do you mean by that?” Mikuni turns and finally looks at the person he’s talking to.

Draped in traditional Japanese  _ yukata  _ and a white traditional jacket, wearing wooden sandals and strange narrow shades, the man certainly looks strange enough to turn heads without noticing his fangs and red eyes.

“Vampire,” Mikuni hisses. 

The man smiles. “You Aliceins are all the same.”

“You’re the one I met in that alley a few days ago, the one that tried to kill my little brother.”

“Oh, no, no, you’re mistaken. I wasn’t going to kill him unless my servant told me I should. And honestly, it seemed like him and that little friend of his were going to slaughter each other before I was going to do anything of the sort.”

“Spare me your excuses, Vampire.” Mikuni glares. “You’re the forgotten eighth Servamp of Melancholy. I’ve heard of you before.”

“Finally, someone who has.” The Vampire has a strange smile on his face, though his eyes are glossed over with nothing but pure boredom. “You’re correct. My given name is Who is Coming, but I much prefer the name Tsubaki.”

“Tsubaki, huh? You don’t have an Eve; I would’ve seen them by now. You gave yourself that name, I bet.”

“You’d be correct.” 

“Why’d you name yourself?”

“I grew tired of my old name, just as I’ve grown tired of both humans and Vampires.” He stares right into Mikuni’s eyes. “You Aliceins have given me nothing but misery and trouble, just as my own siblings have done. If this war goes the way I planned, you’ll slaughter one another right before my very eyes.”

“Not if you die before that happens.” Mikuni takes a breath. “Look, I’m smart enough to know that not all Vampires are created equal. Some are a lot kinder than others. You, from what I can tell, are much too apathetic to be one of the nice ones.”

Mikuni rests his hand over the revolver at his side. Tsubaki notices, and grins. “Are you wanting a fight, Alicein?”

“We can’t fight here.” 

“True, true.” He laughs, loudly and obnoxiously. Everybody on the street, however, is too busy shouting and watching the fire to notice. 

Then, his laughter abruptly stops.

“I’m bored.”

Mikuni glances at the burning house on the hill again, and then turns his focus back to the Vampire. “I’m not looking for a fight with you right now. In fact, I’d rather go up to that house up there and save my brother.”

“Good luck with that as well.” Tsubaki turns and looks over his shoulder. “My servants are waiting up there for you: Higan, Sakuya, Otogiri, Belkia. You Aliceins are strong, but my servants are anything but typical.”

With that, he walks away, his wooden sandals clicking on the pavement as he wanders through the crowd, heading in an unknown direction toward an unknown destination.

Mikuni forgets all about it as he sprints up toward the house. Anything but typical, Tsubaki had said. Yeah, try telling that to Mikuni Alicein. If there’s anyone who’s “anything but typical”, that would be him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Tsubaki toward the end and I almost end up writing Shibusawa Tatsuhiko from Bungo Stray Dogs by accident. Lol. They're both villains who started wars out of boredom, and the similarity almost makes me want to write a crossover fic in the future. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! See you in the next one!

**Author's Note:**

> I always appreciate feedback, good or bad (as long as the bad feedback isn't things like 'yOuRE FiC SucKs!!!1!') so feel free to let me know what you think! Thanks for reading! Nya~!


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